Spiritual Markers
This morning I thought about Henry Blackaby's teaching on "spiritual markers" when I read Genesis 35:1, which says, "Then, God said to Jacob, Arise go up to Bethel and dwell there and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau, your brother."
All believers have times when God reveals Himself to us. The first is our salvation experience. After that, He speaks to us to call us into a particular ministry or to move us to another job. He shows us who to marry or where to go to college. In each case we receive a direct instruction from the Lord that leads us in a certain direction. We all need to take time to reflect on those times as our "spiritual markers" for our lives. Each one gives us a better view of where we have been and where God is leading us. It is a great blessing to look back to see how many times God had made Himself real to us and directed us so specifically.
That is why Jacob was called to go back to Bethel. It was his first spiritual marker, as he was fleeing from Esau. He met God. He trusted God, so He was saved. God promised to bless him and to bring him home. God did His part and Jacob followed. He went back to Bethel to "dwell" there and consider all God had done to bring him home and to make him into the person he had become. I believe this set the course for the rest of his life to continue to follow the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 36-38.
All believers have times when God reveals Himself to us. The first is our salvation experience. After that, He speaks to us to call us into a particular ministry or to move us to another job. He shows us who to marry or where to go to college. In each case we receive a direct instruction from the Lord that leads us in a certain direction. We all need to take time to reflect on those times as our "spiritual markers" for our lives. Each one gives us a better view of where we have been and where God is leading us. It is a great blessing to look back to see how many times God had made Himself real to us and directed us so specifically.
That is why Jacob was called to go back to Bethel. It was his first spiritual marker, as he was fleeing from Esau. He met God. He trusted God, so He was saved. God promised to bless him and to bring him home. God did His part and Jacob followed. He went back to Bethel to "dwell" there and consider all God had done to bring him home and to make him into the person he had become. I believe this set the course for the rest of his life to continue to follow the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 36-38.