Genesis 28:6-15: a reflection

6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a command, saying, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;” 7and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram. 8Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan didn’t please Isaac, his father. 9So Esau went to Ishmael, and took, in addition to the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife. 10Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13Behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your offspring. 14Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.”

As Jacob flees from home, alone and uncertain, God meets him in a dream and gives him a promise that would steady him through all his wanderings: a promise of God's abiding presence and keeping. Behold, I am with you, God says, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you. Jacob is a wanderer, leaving his home, facing an uncertain future; and God promises to be with him and keep him wherever he goes, not to leave him until his purpose for him is fulfilled. God's promise is not only for the land or for one place, but for wherever Jacob goes; God will be with him and keep him through all his wanderings. God promises to be with us and keep us wherever we go, not leaving us until his purpose is done. Wherever we go, God is with us and keeps us; he will not leave us. God's presence and keeping go with us wherever we go. He does not leave us until his purpose is accomplished.

Notice the scope and constancy of God's promise to Jacob: I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will not leave you. This promise is given to a wanderer, one leaving home and facing the unknown; and its comfort is that God's presence and keeping are not tied to any one place, but go with Jacob wherever he goes. God will be with him, keep him, and not leave him until his purpose for him is complete. This is a promise of abiding presence: not that Jacob's way will be easy, but that God will be with him through it, wherever it leads, and will keep him. And this promise reaches beyond Jacob to all God's people: that God is with us and keeps us wherever we go, not leaving us until his purpose for us is done. However far we wander, whatever unknown we face, God's presence goes with us and his keeping holds us. We are never beyond his presence or his keeping. God's abiding presence and faithful keeping accompany us wherever we go. He will not leave us unfinished; he stays with us until his purpose is complete. Wherever we go, God goes with us.

That is worth resting in, for God promises to be with us and keep us wherever we go, not leaving us until his purpose for us is done. We can feel alone and uncertain, wandering, facing an unknown future, as Jacob did; but God promised to be with Jacob and keep him wherever he went, not to leave him until his purpose was fulfilled. God's presence and keeping are not tied to one place; they go with us wherever we go. We are never beyond his presence or his faithful keeping. When you feel alone or uncertain about the way ahead, remember that God is with you and keeps you wherever you go, and will not leave you until his purpose is done. Rest in God's promise to be with you and keep you wherever you go, not leaving you until his purpose for you is complete, as God met the wandering Jacob and promised, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will not leave you; for God's presence and keeping are not tied to any one place but go with us through all our wanderings, however far we go or whatever unknown we face, so that we are never beyond his presence or his faithful keeping, and he will not leave us unfinished but stays with us until his purpose for us is accomplished, wherever the way leads.

Lord, as Jacob flees from home, alone and uncertain, you meet him in a dream and give him a promise that would steady him through all his wanderings: a promise of your abiding presence and keeping. Behold, I am with you, you say, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you. Jacob is a wanderer, facing an uncertain future; and you promise to be with him and keep him wherever he goes, not to leave him until your purpose for him is fulfilled. Your promise is not only for one place, but for wherever Jacob goes. Show me the scope and constancy of your promise to Jacob: I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will not leave you. This promise is given to a wanderer facing the unknown; and its comfort is that your presence and keeping are not tied to any one place, but go with Jacob wherever he goes. You will keep him and not leave him until your purpose for him is complete. This is a promise of abiding presence: not that Jacob's way will be easy, but that you will be with him through it. And this promise reaches to all your people: that you are with us and keep us wherever we go. We are never beyond your presence or your keeping. Let me rest in that, for you promise to be with me and keep me wherever I go, not leaving me until your purpose for me is done. I can feel alone and uncertain, wandering, facing an unknown future, as Jacob did; but you promised to be with Jacob and keep him wherever he went. Your presence and keeping go with me wherever I go. When I feel alone or uncertain about the way ahead, help me remember that you are with me and keep me wherever I go, Lord, and will not leave me until your purpose is done, as you promised the wandering Jacob.