God Is Everywhere
The unassuming violinist, donning a baseball cap and T-shirt, set up near Washington, DC’s L’Enfant Plaza subway station. He moved the bow across the strings, making melodious tunes. But commuters rushed past, oblivious. He played an entire music program with only a handful of people stopping to listen. If the crowd had only known they were rushing past Joshua Bell, one of the greatest virtuosos of our generation, who had played at the Library of Congress the night before. Bell played several of the most difficult, mesmerizing violin pieces in the world, all on a 1713 Stradivarius worth roughly $3.5 million.
It’s easy to be unaware, to miss wonders right in front of us. This was Jacob’s experience as he journeyed to Harran (Genesis 28:10). He stopped and set up camp in a simple spot that seemed like any other, just a place to lay his head for the night. God appeared to him in a midnight dream, however, telling him that his numerous descendants would bless “all peoples on earth” (v. 14). He also assured Jacob that He would “watch over [him] wherever [he would] go” (v. 15). When he awoke, Jacob said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (v. 16).
God is everywhere, “fill[ing] heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 23:24). He’s present in the most ordinary places. Our invitation is to keep our eyes and ears open, to watch and listen for Him.
By Winn Collier - Bread Ministries
Genesis 28:10-17
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
