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, NIV

 

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve looked at various aspects of time, and God’s timing. For the rest of the month we’ll be exploring how God’s presence and guidance in the Bible have often been tied to specific locations.

 

This passage comes from a pivotal moment in Jacob’s life. Fleeing from his brother Esau after deceiving him, Jacob finds himself alone, using a stone as a pillow while sleeping under the stars. During the night, he has a powerful dream where he sees a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. Above the ladder, the Lord speaks to Jacob, reaffirming the covenant he made with Abraham and Isaac and extending it to Jacob. When Jacob awakes, he is struck by the realisation that he has just encountered the living God in this remote and unlikely place.

 

How often do we move through our daily lives, unaware of the sacredness of the places we inhabit? Jacob’s experience reminds us that God is present, even when we don’t initially recognise it. In the middle of an ordinary and perhaps challenging moment, Jacob discovered that the very ground he was lying on was holy, transformed by the presence of God.

 

Jacob’s reaction – fear, awe, and the declaration that this place is “none other than the house of God” – teaches us something crucial: God’s presence is not confined to the obvious places like churches or moments of explicit worship. He is with us in our homes, workplaces, and even in the midst of our struggles and fears. Sometimes, it takes a moment of awakening to realise that the place where we stand is sacred.

 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, open my eyes to see you in the places I inhabit each day. Help me to recognise your presence in both the ordinary and extraordinary moments of my life. May I never take for granted the holy ground I walk on, knowing that you are always with me, transforming every place into a sacred space. Teach me to live with a greater awareness of your presence and to respond with awe and reverence, just as Jacob did. In Jesus’ name, Amen.