Genesis 28:15-16 - [God said to Jacob] "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it."

This devotion pairs with this weekend's Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lhm.org.

Jacob didn't understand the full weight of the blessing, but he knew he wanted it, and would do anything to get it. He lied, he schemed, he cheated for it, even invoked God's Name, falsely, to get it. And he got what he wanted, at least he thought so. But what was the result? Esau, his brother, hated him, wanted to murder him. And his mother and father sent him away to live with his uncle in a neighboring country. And now Jacob's got to walk 500 miles to get there—Jacob, the guy who preferred to stay indoors.

So, he sets out, running from his murderous brother, running from his disappointed father—running from God—unprepared for the journey ahead, with only a few provisions, from the sound of it—no sleeping bag or pillow, just the clothes on his back. But before he gets too far, God comes down to meet Jacob, that lying, cheating, no good disappointment, because God has something to say. And when God comes downstairs to let Jacob have it, it's not to tell him how much of a disappointment he was. It wasn't to re-hash all his failures. It wasn't to pile on guilt and shame. No, God came down simply to tell him that He loved him, because God has a promise for him—to bless him and be with him and care for him.

I was talking with a young woman about this Scripture passage recently. I'll call her Tara. Tara is in graduate school. She's under a lot of pressure—stressing about interviews and internships and job prospects. And sometimes she feels like she's not enough. She's worried that she'll be a disappointment. When Tara heard Jacob's story, God's Word to Jacob touched her. Tara and I talked about how God's promise passed through Jacob to us, how it came down through Jacob's greatest Offspring, Jesus, who, turns out, is Himself God's Word, God's communication, what-God-has-to-say-to-us-in-the-flesh.

In Jesus, God came downstairs to be born in Jacob's family, because He has something to say to you. Jesus says that He is the fulfillment of Jacob's dream. In the Gospel of John 1:51, Jesus says that He is that heaven-sent stairway. And Jesus said that He would draw all people to Himself, by being lifted up on the cross (see John 12:32). And He rose from the dead so that God's promise to Jacob could come down the stairs for you. Listen to what God has to say to you in Jesus: "Look, I will be with you. I will guard you in all the places that you go. I will not leave you. I will do what I've promised you."

WE PRAY: Dear Father, thank You for coming downstairs to make us part of Your household, forever. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour.

Reflection Questions:

1. When have you worried that you wouldn't be enough or have enough?

2. When was a time someone showed you unexpected or undeserved graciousness?

3. What journey or unknown path are you facing? What do you want to say to God about this?

Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 26-27    Ephesians 6

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