Photo by BabaSteve, Creative Commons

Read Genesis 46:1-4

To read the last post on Genesis go to Will God Come Through for You?

So Israel sets out with all that he has. But he stops when he reaches Beersheba to offer sacrifices to his God.

And God spoke to Israel in a vision that night, He said, Jacob! Jacob!

Here I am, replied Jacob.

I am God, the God of your father, He said. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.

Genesis 46:1-4



Going Deeper

Last post I mentioned I’m working on a biography for a friend of mine, Kent Brown. One of the things about Kent is he’s had numerous broken dysfunctional marriages. But there was this one marriage that was a healthy one. Her name was Lori, and it’s interesting how her and Kent’s relationship began. In Kent’s words:

I met her at a restaurant that had a dance floor. My friend Dale and I were in this place, it was in the evening around 9. Lori and her girlfriend walked in the door and every guy in the place was looking at her. I told Dale, “I gotta meet this gal.” I just beelined up to the front and told her and her friend we had a table and to come sit down, and they did.

Shortly thereafter I told Lori it was too loud to talk, and that I had a studio just down the street and I’d like to visit with her and her friend. They came to the studio and we visited. My studio had photographs, a lot of scenics, fine art scenics, and photographs of congressmen and others. Before they left I asked Lori for her phone number so I could call her to make sure she got home safely. When I called she was impressed that I would check on her like that. She told me where she worked and I brought her flowers and took her to lunch every day for a month.

“She told me where she worked and I brought her flowers and took her to lunch every day for a month.”

It’s no accident the Bible portrays relationship with God as a marriage relationship. (supporting verses are in abundance, including Revelation 19:7-9, Ephesians 5:25-27, Revelation 21:2, John 3:29, 2 Corinthians 11:2) Kent invested in his relationship with Lori by sacrificing his time, money, and energy. It took dedication and discipline to bring her flowers every day. It cost him to take her to lunch every day. But the result was a great marriage relationship.

Jacob does the same in his relationship with God. He sacrifices to Him. And a sacrifice to God was a big deal. It cost a precious animal from the herd. And it took a lot of hard work to prepare that animal for sacrifice. Here in Beersheba we see how Jacob commits his time, and his possessions, and his energy to his God. And the result is a great relationship.

When you read verses one through four, you see the result is God speaks to Jacob, He reveals great blessings to Jacob, and he provides comfort to Jacob.

Maybe you’re wondering why God isn’t speaking to you. Maybe you’re wondering why God hasn’t revealed any blessings to you lately. Maybe you’re feeling uncomfortable and you’re wondering why God isn’t providing any comfort.

Maybe it’s because you’re not sacrificing.

Like a marriage relationship, your relationship with God changes when you make sacrifices and offerings. When you sacrifice your Sunday mornings, to spend time with Him at His house, when you sacrifice a few minutes in the morning to read His scriptures, when you offer Him your thanksgiving, when you offer the sacrifice of praise, your relationship with Him changes. It deepens and grows into something beautiful. It metamorphosizes. It transforms. You grow to know Him. You begin to hear Him, similar to the way Jacob did. You begin to anticipate what He’s thinking.

Of all the people in existence, who would you want to have the deepest strongest relationship with?

The only answer that makes sense is God.

So make changes.

Make changes beginning right now.

Sacrifice.