Hosanna Restoration Church

In this particular portion of scripture God appeared to Jacob once again and told him to return to Bethel, build an altar and worship Him. I find in interesting that God also reminds him that He is the God who appeared to him when he was running from his brother Esau. Immediately, Jacob tells everyone in the family to destroy their idols, wash themselves, and put on clean clothes because the are going to Bethel. Sort of like telling the family to clean up and act their best it is time to go to church!

A person has to wonder why there were idols in the house in the first place. After all Jacob had promised God that if he would protect him, provide for him, and return him safely home that he would make Him Lord. God did everything Jacob asked, but it appears Jacob forgot his part. Actually, we know that when Jacob left Laban Rachel brought the household idols along. Now it seems that idols had become the norm. The family had more than a few. Jacob must have known it was wrong but he was not doing anything about it. It was only after God appeared to him again saying, “yoo-hoo remember Me” that Jacob decided it was time to straighten things up.

Does any of this seem at all familiar to any one? Week after week, year after year, any number of people get cleaned up, and go to church. Only to return home where nothing has changed. Then suddenly something happens. Maybe someone gets sick, or there is a message that speaks to them and they know that they have heard from God and they make some promises, only to forget them as quickly as they made them.

I can remember many times when I would be in fix and I would pray saying that if this worked out, I would make the Lord my God. God did His part, but I never kept my promises. There were many Sunday mornings when I got up thinking there had to be more to life and clean up and go to church, only to come home no different than I went.

Finally I guess God got tired of me playing church. I am so glad He is faithful even when we are not. God could have just forgotten about Jacob, but instead He came to him again. He told him to go back to the place where he made his promises. He was even so kind as to remind him who was talking to him. This is what God will do for us as well.

We may forget Him, but He does forget us. He is always working to bring us closer to Him. After all, He tore down the wall that separated us from Him. I used to read that scripture like He just waved his hand and it was done. Like it was nothing for Him to do. But you know what? It was a big deal to Him. The other day I got this picture in my spirit of Him desperately beating and tearing down that wall in order to rescue us. Just like a parent digging a child out of cave in. That is how God removed that wall that kept us from Him. My prayer is that we might all cling to Him, like He clings to us. Let’s not just go to church; let’s be the church. The body of Christ.