The prayer meeting went well. Many did not come to church for two main reasons: there was a torrential rain just before we started and there was no traffic in the town because of political elections. But the faithful still came. We give God all the glory for their commitment! Numbers do not matter to God. The unity of the Spirit and the attitude of worship and expectant faith were established. We shared good praise reports and we prayed for some more ‘hopeless cases’. We have nothing to lose! Nothing is impossible for God! Then the message came:

“Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother” (Gen 28:1, 2)

Jacob has cheated his older brother taking his inheritance as the oldest son. His life is in danger. He has to run away from home. His parents direct him to go to Rebekah’s family in Haran and find a wife there. He should not feel just like a fugitive but there shall be a good testimony out of this. Marriage will be the purpose of his trip. Isaac prays and blesses him as the young man leaves his parents’ home to go ‘abroad’. Running away he stops at a ‘certain place’ to sleep. There he has a dream. God reveals Himself to him. He promises to bless him, to bring him back, to give him this particular land and to multiply him. Jacob vows to trust God for the going and the coming.

Jacob had to leave his home. He was a weak, easily deceived young man. He will go away and pass many trials and pains. God will use strangers to train, change and mature him. He will come back after 20 years a very different man: sure of his God, sure of his identity, married with children, spiritually mature, wealthy and blessed. This change can only be done by God and outside the childhood home.

Give thanks for all the seasons of your life! In particular, remember the time you left your childhood home to pursue your ‘dream’. You know that it has not been easy. You became born again outside your comfort zone. You had to pass thru much pain, disappointments, betrayals, anxiety and loneliness. You had to learn to cope with evil jealous people, with rejection and sickness.

But, this is the question: Can you testify that God has been with you in your life’s journey? Then blessed are you! Give thanks to God!