Meditation of the Day

I will never leave you. (Genesis 28:15)

As Jacob journeyed through Mesopotamia, he surely encountered large shrines
built to honor the local deities. These shrines were dedicated to pagan gods
who were bound to certain lands or places. When Yahweh, appearing to Jacob
in a dream, identifies himself as "the God of your forefather Abraham and
the God of Isaac" (Genesis 28:13), he reveals that he is bound not to a
place but to a specific family.

And now it is to Isaac's son, Jacob, that God extends his covenant-a free
gift given by a generous God. Jacob, who has recently engaged in a deception
that will cause a long-lasting rift in his family, has done nothing
honorable to merit God's favor. It is simply out of love and faithfulness
that God offers a promise of exclusive friendship.

Strengthened by this vision and moved by God's love, Jacob takes up his part
in the covenant. He makes a vow to return a tenth of all God's gifts given
to him. This imperfect yet chosen man longs to receive all God has for him.

God's promises are to Jacob and his descendants until the end of time! And
now, in Christ, God has extended his covenant offer to each one of us,
whether we are children of Jacob or not. Just as he told Nathanael, Jesus
tells us too that he is the stairway of Jacob's vision (John 1:51).
Extending his arms on the cross, he bridged the gap between heaven and
earth. Because of Jesus' obedience to his Father, and because of his
faithfulness to us, we have been offered a new covenant, a full completion
of the covenant made with Jacob.

How can we, like Jacob, take up our part in this covenant? By seeking to
encounter the Lord as Jacob did. By fixing our eyes on Jesus and following
where he leads. By offering God our obedience out of love and gratitude, not
duty and obligation. It is not enough to rest on Jacob's faith. We are
Jacob's offspring when we move through our days with a personal faith in
God's covenant promises to us.

"Father, you call out with your covenant love a thousand times each day.
Help me to hear your voice, return your love, and do your will."