July 23 Genesis 28:10-19 Once upon a time           

Genesis is more than stories, it is God’s truth.

                                Psalter reading Psalm 139:1-6

“1 ¶ «For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.» O LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.” (Psalm 139:1-6 NKJV)

“10 ¶ Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 "Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 "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 spoken to you." 16 ¶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." 17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" 18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.” (Genesis 28:10-19 NKJV)

We think of the Bible as a bunch of stories that seem unreal to us.  For many having a wrestling match with God is as foreign as well, as talking with God.

With the Ascension of Jesus the Holy Spirit came into our lives and we were enabled to have a very real relationship with God.

Because we are so marred by sin and our own arrogance we do not seek a relationship with God on a daily basis. Like Jacob we seek God when our life changes or it falls apart.  Rather than seeking a relationship we use God as a Celestial ATM.

But if you take time to wrestle with God that place becomes Holy and it and you change so much that a new name is needed!  For you experience the working of God and see His presence in your life, the Church and throughout the world!!!