Craig Clouston

 

Bethel Emmanuel

April 3

Jacob took the stone…and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place, Bethel.

Genesis 28:18

As Mike read Genesis 28:16-22 he felt his spirit quicken. The small stone!

Several years ago, Mike’s life had been in shambles. Drugs had all but wrecked his marriage, and in surrender, he had cried out to Jesus. As he’d knelt in his backyard to pray, his right knee had come to rest on a small stone. Instead of throwing it out of the way, Mike held it as a precious jewel in his hand. In a Jacob-like moment, and unsure of his actions, Mike offered it to God as an altar to the work he was asking God to do in his heart, his life, and his marriage.

God had honored his prayers, and Mike had kept that small stone in his car as a reminder of God’s faithfulness. Three weeks ago Mike brought the stone into the house, and placed it on the end table beside his chair.

Having just read the account of Jacob building the altar at Bethel, Mike felt compelled to do the same, erecting an altar to God for His faithfulness. So taking the stone, Mike anointed it with three drops of oil. “Here, now, I recommit this family and household to You, LORD. I thank you for blessings past, present, and future. I thank You for Your faithfulness and love, Your great mercy and grace. May this house forever be called Bethel Emmanuel, because it is a House of God because God has been, and always will be with us, Amen.”

Mike replaced the stone on the table, considering it his pillar before the LORD.

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Does this sound a bit out of context, comparing one small rock to an entire altar? In truth, it's not the size of the altar, but what is in the heart of the person.

In today’s scripture, Jacob built an altar to God for his promised faithfulness. Scripture says that the Bethel altar still stands today.

There are moments in our lives when God shows up in the exact way we asked Him to. Those moments are rare, and meant to be remembered for their significance.

This morning, ask God to bring to remembrance any such moments in your life, and erect an altar to His faithfulness. Let it stand as your reminder of God’s promise.

Prayer

“I thank You, LORD, for always being faithful. Here, in this moment, I erect this altar of thanksgiving to Your Name. Amen.”