Day 1 – Back to Bethel

(Genesis 35:1-15)

20 years have passed since Jacob’s first encounter with God at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22). He had lost his way and forgotten the vows he made to God. He had been preoccupied with the pursuit of the material things of  life. In this passage, God called him back to the place He first met him- Bethel.

Every vow we make to God is binding and God always remains faithful to His covenant with us. Like Jacob, we sometimes loose our way and need a reminder to return to our first love. God may be calling you in this season to return back to Him.

Crisis should point us back to God

Crisis in our lives should point us back to God, to our first love, not away from Him. Jacob obeyed and had to deal with the idols in his household. Any movement towards God will reveal the things that do not belong in our lives. To go back to Bethel, we must deal with the idols in our hearts.

Idols keep us away from God’s presence because we cannot serve two masters at the same time. For us to return back to God, we must give up the things that has dominated our attention. An idol is anything that comes first in your life apart from God. Any idol in your life robs you of  intimacy with God.

God wants to protect and provide for us

Total obedience to the directives of God gives Him the authorization to protect us. As Jacob obeyed, God protected and provided for him. God calls us back to Himself  because He wants to protect and provide for us.

When we respond in obedience and give up the things that we have trusted in and worshipped, we give God permission to take care of us. Our struggles and self-preservations will end, and we will experience rest, peace, protection, and provisions from God.

Go back to Bethel

God wants you to go back to Bethel, to your first love and build Him an altar there. This is a call to dwell in, not to visit God’s presence. When you respond to this call, you will experience a progressive revelation of God. When you dwell in God’s presence, you will know Him as God Almighty.

You will go from being in God’s house to knowing the God of the house. This is a great privilege and reward of those who respond to God’s call to return to their first love, to God’s presence.

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up… Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth“

Hosea 6:1-3