LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH: The Second Candle

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 28:10-16, 20-22

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” … Then Jacob made 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 clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you.”

LESSON

Jacob had done some unkind things, but instead of saying he was sorry, Jacob ran away. But now it was time to meet with his brother after many years. He had to face up to the things he had done wrong. When Jacob ran away from his family, he may have thought he was running away from God, too, but God was always with him. The night before Jacob was going to see his brother, God spoke to Jacob in a dream and reminded him of the promises God had made to Jacob’s father and grandfather, and that those promises were meant for Jacob, too.

THINK OR TALK ABOUT

How do you know that God is always with you?

PRAYER

Remind us each day, God, that you are with us.