SCRIPTURE: Genesis 28
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
(Read my reflection from 2008)
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” [Genesis 28:16-17]
An ordinary place, an ordinary rock, yet Jacob discovers “how awesome is this place!”
What made this place special was not the location or the rock – they were just ordinary – but the fact that the Lord chose to reveal Himself there.
Through the ordinary God hides something extraordinary.
If we had eyes to see it, we would discover that the whole earth is filled with the glory of God – Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning… A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen. [Luke 9:28-29,35-36]
The disciples were with Jesus for three years, they marvelled at His teaching and at His miracles, yet they still did not understand or appreciate who Jesus was.
Jesus did not walk around with a halo, or clothes as bright as the flash of lightning.
He wore ordinary clothes, and lived and functioned as an ordinary human being – so much so that many people could ignore or reject Him as a nobody.
Yet hidden behind that ordinary appearance was an extraordinary person – “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
God is present in all of creation, though we are not aware of it.
God is uniquely present in Jesus Christ, though we do not appreciate it.
Jesus is God’s chosen means of connecting with us; Jesus is constantly reaching out to us through ordinary and extraordinary means… if we have eyes to see it.
As Elizabeth Barrett Browining puts it:
“Earth is crammed with heaven,
and every common bush is on fire with God;
but only he who sees takes off his shoes;
the rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.”
Is the Lord revealing Himself to you at work, and you are not seeing it?
Is the Lord shining with His glory in your morning walk, and you are not aware of it?
Are you kneeling before the ordinary bushes of your lives, and sensing the extraordinary presence of God… or are you just eating the blackberries, oblivious to His presence.
PRAYER:
Lord, give me eyes to see You all around me, to hear You in everything I hear, and to respond with Jacob every moment: “How awesome is this place!
Our God is an awesome God!
He awoke and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it.’ Our world belongs to God. Am I aware of that each and every day? Where do I see Him in all I do and say? Do I walk and talk and stand on the promises of God? He is the only way for my final destination. How am I traveling this life in His presence? Where did I see Jesus in my travels during yesterday? And today? I am in His presence but do I have the eyes that see Him and the ears that hear His voice? Open my eyes Lord that I may see You in all my daily travels.
God is in this place. Praise Him! Make me aware that You are everywhere!
This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.