Devotions

Jacob was in a crisis yet again, and he did not know what to do. The Bible says, “Then God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there’ . . . And Jacob said . . . ‘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’” (Genesis 35:1-3, NKJV).

Bethel is a place where we can go in our time of distress. The lesson for Israel and for us today is this: Whenever Jacob was in trouble, he knew where to go and what to do.

God was saying to Jacob, “You know where I will speak to you, where you will hear my voice. Go back to Bethel, to the altar where I met you. Get down on your face before me, and cleanse your house of idolatry.”

Jacob called his sons to bring forth all their idols, and he buried them under an oak tree. He then led his family to Bethel where he built an altar before God. God assured him again, “I am with you” (see Genesis 35:9-13). Scripture says, “The terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob” (Genesis 35:5). The surrounding cities were afraid of Jacob and his little Jewish clan because God had put a dread in them.

The Lord is still God of Bethel. He implores us, “Go to Bethel, and I will meet you there. Every time you are in trouble or distress, run to the altar. Cry out and get alone with me.” He is waiting for us to meet him in the secret closet of prayer.

Jacob knew where to go to get a clear word from Lord. He shut himself in with God in a secret place. I believe God speaks to us, but it happens in our alone time with him.

God is calling you today to get your eyes off of your circumstances. Do not judge anything by your present condition. Don’t try to figure it all out or let fear cast you down. God will meet you in prayer!

In his book The Pastor’s Guide to Effective Ministry, Dallas Willard writes, “The quality of our souls will indelibly touch others for good or for ill.”

Most of us who want to share Jesus in a meaningful way with others often default to trying to figure out how to impress everyone else. We know our audience is fickle and wants something new that stimulates the senses. The 1990s saw this approach ramp up with pastors spending obscene amounts of money, trying to pull in crowds with productions and creative ways to present the gospel. The marketing of Jesus jumped to a whole new level, and Christians were buying.  

There were a few problems with this approach. The first one was that many pastors were launched into a “stardom” within their circles, and they had no ballast. There was no inner life to counteract the voices that said, “Wow, you are special! Your church led the local news! You’re friends with the governor! Someone just donated a million dollars to your building fund! Your book is a bestseller! You are a star!” Because they lacked the solid, God-centered humility and spiritual depth needed to survive the ups and downs of ministry, they burned bright…and then they burned out.

The second problem was they forgot that people really do crave the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. Humans, made in the image of God, want to know how to find him. They want the message simply presented and the directions to be clear. They want the messenger to be someone who truly knows God and puts him first in their own lives.

Whether you are a missionary living the lonely life of service in a remote area or a pastor of a large congregation in the city, your inner life is the most important thing in your life. My love for Jesus, and my hunger to know him better and deeper every day, outranks all that I am and everything I do. Through the noise and demands of modern church life and leadership, we must stay grounded in God. He calls us to him, to dine alone in his presence, every day.

 “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure” (Psalm 16:8-9, ESV).

Shortly after marrying my wife, Crista, I attempted to surprise her by cleaning the house while she was out shopping. Now I tend to be great with vision, even organization. However, my attention to small details is…lacking.

Crista got home, looked around, then politely said, “Thank you for straightening up the house. Let’s take a little time, and I’ll show you what clean is.” My new bride pulled out rubber gloves, Clorox cleaner, Windex, buckets, mops, scrub brushes. Let’s just say I had a revelation about the difference between a surface clean and a ‘deep’ clean. Sadly, we also spend too much of our energy as believers doing surface cleaning when we need a deep clean.

There should be no greater cultural revolution than when a man or woman comes to faith in Christ. Living in the kingdom of God must involve a complete change in values, lifestyles and priorities. We don’t lose our God-given individuality in the process, but the change in our thinking and character will be incredible. The Spirit starts deep cleaning, and couches get moved; cupboards are emptied; painful scouring ensues. What we live for changes. What we value changes.

As Paul wrote to the early believers, “He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14, ESV).

Far too often as Christians, we are content to read a short devotion each morning, bring people to our churches and drop some money in the basket. However, the final command of Jesus is to go to the nations and make disciples (see Matthew 28:19). The command is not to have a great following on social media or be respected in our work places. I’m thankful if these things happen, but our business as believers is to turn away from our sin and turn to Jesus, to make disciples and to teach all that Christ has spoken.

Western Christian culture is starving for biblical authenticity produced by living disciples, and the path to that kind of life is biblical repentance. That kind of genuine growth and living only happens when believers are transformed by the gospel, which means experiencing new birth and being conformed to Christ’s character. Then and only then will we truly impact our communities and the world in a powerful way for God’s kingdom.

^{John Bailey is the Vice President of World Challenge Inc. and the Founding Pastor of The Springs Church in Jacksonville, Florida. John has been serving the Lord in pastoral ministry for 35 years, ministering the gospel in over 50 nations, particularly as a pastor and evangelist in Cork, Ireland.}

Suppose a boxing trainer took his fighter to an isolated training camp and spent the entire training session psyching up his man for the big fight. He says, “I will be with you at ringside; I will never leave your side. Here is a list of great boxers of the past, so study their every move. You don’t have to suffer through hard workouts. I’ve told you that you are a winner, and my word is all you need. Here are some diagrams on how to defeat Monster Man when you step into the ring with him.”

What kind of trainer is this? Absolutely foolish! What would a good trainer really do? He would find the best boxer he could, put his man in the ring with him, and let them have it out.

How many Christians call themselves warriors without ever being tested or trained? We hear so much about the many prayer warriors in this nation. The sad truth is, though, the vast majority of them have never been in battle. They have not been trained, and they are not ready to fight.

Recently, I asked the Lord why so many true believers are going through such heavy, hard times. “Why such deep suffering?” I asked, “Why are so many being tested to their limits?”

God knows that Satan is going to be loosed on the earth for his last hour of warfare. The Lord is going to need well-trained warriors who will prevail over all the powers of hell. Right now, he is doing a quick work in his people: crisis training!

These deeply-tested saints — people who have wrestled with God — are becoming the captains of his last-days army. The more they suffer and the more intense the trial, the greater the work he has for them to do.

This kind of training calls for physical discipline as well as spiritual. Jacob threw his whole body into the battle. A fighting spirit had risen up in him, and scripture says, “In his strength he struggled with God” (Hosea 12:3, NKJV). This verse has great meaning for all who want to prevail in prayer. It says Jacob won the battle “in his strength.” Beloved, if you are going to prevail in these last days, you are going to have to put all your body and strength into it!

Esau was born first, a baby covered with hair (his name means ‘hairy’), but his twin brother Jacob grabbed his heel while still in the womb. What a shock the midwife must have had when she saw Esau come forth with a tiny hand gripping his heel!

“He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and in his strength he struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept, and sought favor from him. He found him in Bethel, and there he spoke to us” (Hosea 12:3-4, NKJV).

In this very brief passage about Jacob, the prophet Hosea sums up how to overcome and prevail with God. His message was “Here was a man greedy for God, hungry for everything God had for him.” Jacob came out of the womb in a fighting mood, longing for the blessings of God. There was something of a godly instinct in this child. It was as if he was saying, “Brother, if you don't want the fullness of God, I do. Get out of my way. I will not be left behind in God's blessings.”

The birthright and blessing of Jacob's desire throughout his life represents all the blessings that are in Christ Jesus. Ultimately, it was not the double portion of his father's wealth that Jacob was after, nor was it the promise of the land. No, Jacob wanted something more. He wanted the blessing of God so he could be in the lineage of the Messiah, and he wanted the priestly blessing. This meant not only being priest of the clan, but also being able to bless others.

We see this priestly ministry throughout Genesis 27 and as Isaac laid hands on Jacob and blessed him: “…that your soul may bless me” (Genesis 27:19). It meant the high honor of having God's hand on him and the power to bless others.

Beloved, this is what is being required of believers in these last days. God wants to raise up a people who are not concerned only about making their own living, owning a house or driving a nice car. He is seeking those who are greedy for the blessings of God, not to consume it on themselves but to be used of him to help others!