"Finding Bethel" by Kirk Hunt

And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

Genesis 28:18-19 KJV

Jacob levered his granite mattress upright. Reverently, he used the ceremony for dedicating an altar to mark it as a holy memorial. Suddenly, a blank spot at the side of the road became a holy shrine.

“Beth-el” means “the house of God.” A place where God lives is precious. We underestimate the number of places that God can dwell.

Too often, we expect that in the hard, difficult places of our lives, we have been abandoned by God. Jacob, as a fugitive and exile, likely thought himself a long way from God. Instead, he met God in a miraculous and awe-inspiring way.

The place where you stand is Beth-el. Despite your hardship. With the tears and sorrow. You are in the presence of an all-powerful God, who loves you more than even you know.

No matter what is going on, God is nearby. Settle down and listen. Even a stone pillow becomes a comfort in the presence of God.

Think: Any place can be come God's place.

Pray: “Lord, help me to listen for You, wherever I am.”

Copyright © May 2009, Kirk Hunt