God Changes Us - It's What He Does

Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd. And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle’s flock. [Genesis 29.9-10]

Evidently, sleeping on a rock, dreaming about a stairway to heaven, and hearing the voice of God made somewhat of a difference in Joseph (the "momma's boy). Oh, ...and seeing his beautiful cousin, Rachel.

As the story goes, we are not sure whether the three shepherds at the well when Jacob arrived 'couldn't' or 'shouldn't' move the stone from the well's mouth, but either way, the 'momma's boy' took some initiative and moved the stone himself. Could it be that Jacob was maturing?

Jacob, the patriarch later known as Israel, must be studied in his growth in order for us to appreciate Israel's significance in history and understand Israel's significance to us today. Jacob's story is one of transformation. It did not occur quickly, but it occurred eventually. Jacob, over time was changed from a deceiving momma's boy to arguably the most significant patriarch of the Bible, "Israel."

I myself have had to learn not to be critical of Jacob (not to mention Abraham and Isaac) for some of his antics. However, as I continue to learn more of the Bible and the accounts of its key figures, I see that they didn't just simply come on the scene as superheroes! No, in fact most all the big names of the Bible have 'a story' that could be more likened to what we today call 'a past.' What this means to us is that there remains hope for us to have significance in God's plan!

This is a good place to discuss Jacob's 'stairway to heaven.' This event represented for Jacob then, and represents of us now, a time and place where God gets our attention. There are numerous other such encounters in the Bible (for just one example, Moses' burning bush experience) where a 'turning point' was reached in the person's life. We should all be aware of this 'turning point' in our own lives whether it is a profound supernatural occurrence, a dream, a vision, or some other out of the ordinary event. It could also be as simple as a revelation of a scripture verse or passage. Whatever it is, we should remember and view it as a time God interacted with us for our growth. In other words, what follows that event should reflect growth in our lives.

We should also be mindful of the fact that one such life-altering encounter with God may not be our last, as we will see in Jacob - as of today's OYCB reading, he still hasn't wrestled and prevailed with the Angel of the LORD!

The bottom line is this: growth is what God does in our lives. He changes us. It would behoove us to embrace that change as it comes.

Father, help us to recognize the times when You particularly speak to our lives and to embrace the transformation You are doing in us! So be it!