Seeking God in GENESIS

“And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way went.” GENESIS 35:3

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ho are we to approach the God of the universe and ask Him to give us understanding? Who are we, oh Lord, to seek you in our tribulations, and our joys? Who are we to drink from the living waters of your Word? Again we knock, giving you thanks for opening the door that leads to your presence. Run to us with open arms, as the father did when his prodigal son returned home.

When God said to Jacob “Arise and go to Bethel” in Gn. 35:1, the patriarch did not waste time trying to determine if he heard indeed the voice of God; he did not consult with human intellect; he did not procrastinate. Jacob executed the will of God at once. So are we in our lives to turn our attention to the voice of God, and depart from the dissipating influences that lead us astray. My sheep hear my voice (Jn. 10:27). How long will we continue to alienate ourselves from the voice of our salvation by choosing to indulge in the whims and obsessions of the flesh?

Jacob moved on after adversity. Self-pity is unfitting to a child of God. There is an altar to build, roads ahead to travel, children to raise, battles to win. We cannot hope to fulfill our destiny unless we remain firmly rooted in our Lord. He is our foundation. He is the wind beneath our wings. We exist for Him only, and we are clay in His hands. Wisdom reminds us that we are the creature, not the Creator. Let us therefore submit to His plans to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future (Jer. 29:11). Let us arise, and do as He says.