I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to Me. Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land. - Genesis 31:13
In a previous post, I recounted the "deal" that Jacob seemingly made with God while he was on the road to Aram. While the I AM was never bound by Jacob's "deal," Jacob was certainly held accountable for his own words, and though it took 20 years, God eventually reminded Jacob of all he had said. He said, "Jacob, I am the God of Bethel...." In other words, "I have been faithful to you. Now, will you be faithful to Me?"
There was still some wrestling to be done, but Jacob's journey of faith that began at Bethel, that seemed to be on hold in Aram (but never was) was put on fast-forward as Jacob turned back toward Canaan.
Another "pilgrim" on a faith-journey wrote, "Lord, You observe my travels and rest; You are aware of all my ways (Ps. 139:3)." Remember this: you will never speak an idle word before our God. He will never leave you. He is never far away. He IS the God of your past, your present, AND your future. We are just pilgrims and we're making progress, sometimes whether we like it or not. HE is faithful.
The only question is, "Will we be?"
We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. - C. S. Lewis
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