The Rock of Earth and Ladder of Heaven
In the book of Genesis, chapter 28, we find Jacob running from his brother Esau. He will eventually end up in Haran in the house of his uncle, Laban. He will then marry two women, work for over 14 years, and inevitably return to reconcile with his brother. However, in chapter 28, I see an interesting thing happen. “And Jacob lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night because the sun was set, and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it…” Genesis 28: 1-13a.
God then affirms the covenant with Jacob that he had made with his grandfather Abraham. “And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” Genesis 28:16-22 KJV
“This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before. As a result, people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others to meet your financial needs,” I Thessalonians 4:11-13 NLT. This tells me that I have to work! Christians need to work! Lindsey and I have been married a little over 5 years now. We have been blessed. One of our strengths is finances. It doesn’t mean we have a lot of money (for real), we just know how to handle what we do have. Actually, we have lived with very little for quite some time. We are huge givers and we love to give cheerfully. We give of our self, substance, and service. About a month ago, the Lord spoke to me. I can’t say that God speaks to me like this all the time, but this was one of those times I heard him clearly. He said to me, “I AM GOING TO PLACE A LADDER OVER AND ABOVE YOUR LIFE! In exchange for this blessing, I am going to use up every drop of faith you have in this season of your life.”
You must recognize the ladder of God in your life. What do I mean? For example, God let bread from heaven rain down in a desert and fed the hungry nation, but the same God that opened the windows of heaven and gave bread also closed them up. It was a space, time, and open portal where God was blessing supernaturally. Luke 5:17 says, “And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” Did that mean it wouldn’t be present anymore? Of course not! It meant that the writer recognized a special window of God open over his Son. I tell you that the Lord said to me “I am about to re-pay you!” Now, if you get offended at what I am about to say to you, you aren’t saved! My wife and I have lived our lives giving to others. We can’t even begin to tell you the labor we have done for the widow, poor, homeless, underprivileged, etc, just because that’s what we love to do. Not out of constraint. We love it. It’s our duty and privilege. We never thought about reward, never. Yet, a few weeks ago the Lord said to me, “YOU CAST ALL YOUR BREAD UPON THE WATER AND THE TIME HAS COME FOR IT TO COME BACK TO YOU.” At first I was a little like “okay, ahh Lord I’m broke.” Not anymore! I had a sure rest and peace about being broke.
The lord took me back over the course of the last 5 years of my life. Then he showed me the times that I thought my life would follow the pattern of others. I thought it would happen for me like it happened for everyone else. “I haven’t ever called a man and said let me come preach in your pulpit,” I heard a man once say. I thought, “I have!” I didn’t beg, but I have had to put my own gas in the tank from time to time. It wasn’t all the wonderful open doors of men or God that helped. Sometimes God helped me by using me to help me. I looked around and seemingly everyone else was either sky lifted, driven by car, escorted by luxury, or with guidance walked straight up the mountain of life. Then, I watched as God set me at the bottom of this mountain and gave me a shovel and said, “DIG”. I had to go straight through the bottom of the mountain and many of you have as well. I’ve had no silver spoons, butlers or bakers. I’ve had trouble, temptation, testing, and hell. But, I’m better for it! I would have never had a “God Ear” had my pillow been soft with a silky inheritance. I watched hundreds go up the smooth side as God snatched me up and said, “NOOO, HERE’S your path!” Are you kidding Lord?
I’ve never robbed God. Oh there have been times I’ve said to myself, “I don’t have the money to pay tithes or offerings.” But, we paid it anyway. The path was filled with sharp rocks, just full of rocks. He never told me “when” but he told me the day will come when I will make you lie down in a green pasture!! GREEN!!! So a few weeks ago God told me, “Get up, I’ve come to bless you. If you delay you will get left.”
I told you if you break God’s laws and principles he can’t bless you…right! Well, Jacob broke a lot of Dave Ramsey principles, and according to Genesis 30:43 was very wealthy. Yeah, and he also got a hip replacement by God in Genesis 32, as he was knocked to the ground and had his thigh pulled out of joint and was smitten before he prevailed!! So pick your poison! HE WAS WEALTHY! Because of his genealogy? Maybe. But do you think that it had anything to do with the fact that while on the run from a man that looked just like him (his twin brother Esau), he met God on the journey? God has got something for anyone who has felt him….just once. I have a cousin named Lloyd, who once got right and then backslid. Time rocked on and he was in an accident that just about killed him, but left him with some scars. Time rocked on and he kept running. I got a voicemail from him, “Eric, just wanted to tell you that I’m going to church in the morning to get right.” I said, once a person has had their inward candle touched/heated they can never pretend as though it hasn’t ever been lit.
In Genesis 28, while running from life, Jacob got TIRED. Sin, when it assimilates you to itself, will then drain all your vital energies and passion. Everything will be a burden!!!! Jacob came to a certain place and sat down. He decided to sleep there and took the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and lay down in that place to sleep. IT’S HARD TO REST WHEN YOUR SPIRIT/SOUL ISN’T! He dreams and sees a ladder reaching to heaven with God Himself standing at the top. Can you recognize this ladder? Do you see a God moment when it comes or do you miss moments?! Do you understand that there are seasons in life? Don’t worship them though! Many, when you ask them, “How are you?”, don’t know where they are! They talk about this season they are in or that season, always a different story. Don’t worship them, but recognize if God has given you an effectual door to walk through. For example, occasionally God will open the Bible up to me in a way that at other times, I can’t see. It’s not that at other times I don’t receive, it’s that when God gives me a ladder over the Word I can climb up in it and enjoy it more!!! Recognize if God has sent that to you. One move you make can change your entire course. Worship Him if you feel this. Worship like you’re aiming at nothing and you’ll hit something I promise!
I was so sick of just getting by, so sick of just making the payments. If God controls all the money then why do the wicked seem to have most of it? It always comes back to the issue of money. I’m sick of it! Rocks, Rocks, and More Rocks. The purpose of the rocks in your life is to show you what’s really hard! You will look back at life and where you are at the moment your reading this and say, “This isn’t hard, THAT was hard!” It helps you to distinguish what’s real or a joke! For many, life has been a pillow of stone. All you ever talk about is the life of hell you’ve had!
God said to me recently, “I’m going to repay you.” It seems that God does these things at the oddest times! Jacob woke up and 3 things happened: He made a vowed to God. You are compelled when God opens his window to make a decision with your life. You can’t waste time. “God, if you’ll do that..I will serve you with all I am. I will live a life with open hands and hearts.” HE changes the name of the place Jacob was in from Luz to Bethel. Luz means almond. An almond is one of the healthiest nuts you can eat, but it’s real small!! Bethel, of course means the house, sanctuary, or gate of God. Some are called to change a community, others the world, and some the entire foundation of a city!
Jacob said, “This is the house of God and gate of heaven.” Lastly (the biggy), he turned his pillow into a pillar. He poured oil upon that rock/pillow. This was an act of worship. A pillow is for rest, a pillar for remembrance. It’s vital that you have life scars to remember what God did and where he did it! This rock and ladder is a declaration that God opened a window in this season and told me, “I’m with you boy!” You don’t forget that! This place of a hard thing has become the measuring stick for all situations. I can take the storms because, as Jacob, I’ve seen the face of God. You have dreams, nudges, and times where his presence comes upon you and tells you something but you don’t have the money or anything else. That stoned pillow is a declaration to not despise the hard place; you’ll remember it, I promise. It will be a landmark.
THE STONIEST PILLOW IS SOFT AS SILK TO HIM WHO SEES THE LADDER OF HEAVEN ALL AROUND HIM. THIS LADDER KNITS EARTH TO HEAVEN. UPON IT, ARE ALL BLESSINGS AND MERCIES, AND IT LEADS THE WAY TO THE VERY HEART OF GOD FROM WHOM THEY FLOW!
I have felt God most near upon the hard ledge of defeat and confusion. Praise you Lord! I’m not in a recession, I’m successful!
