«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’ » (Genesis 35:1).
GENESIS CHAPTER 27: as a young man, Jacob deceives his father to usurp from his older brother the blessing of the birthright. Unable to wait for God to work in his life, Jacob acts on his own by going against the divine commandments. Genesis chapter 35: the same Jacob, many years later, has learned to depend on God for everything and to obey Him without questioning His reasons and methods. Same person, same God, but a great life experience between both scenes. The God who had protected him from the anger of his father-in-law Laban and the vengeance of his brother Esau continued to protect Jacob and guide his steps. This Bible story gives me faith and hope that forgiveness and restoration are possible for me also. The command was «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» (Genesis 35:1).
The prospect of having a special meeting with God in Bethel led Jacob to a complete work of reformation. «Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.’ So, they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them» (verses 2—4). That is what happens when the decision is made to follow and obey God: we put our lives in order according to His law. Dear daughter of God, your past does not matter.
Your failures are behind you; your bad memories have been erased on the Cross, your unfruitful life has come to an end. God wants you, like Jacob, to get up, listen to His voice, and live according to His principles starting today. Make yourself an altar of worship, praise, and obedience. Purify your life, get rid of those foreign gods that you are sheltering in your heart, and show by your conduct what the God who is guiding and protecting you is like. Arise and shine.
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Take From: Daily Devotions for Women’s 2020
«One Day at a Time»
From: Patricia Muñoz Bertozzi
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Magda Sanz T
