8/17/25 The God Who Walks With Us

Takeaway: God is present even in the ordinary and uncertain moments.

Opening Prayer (Sunday)

Lord, this is Your day, and I come before You with a heart of worship. Prepare me to hear Your voice, to grow in faith, and to reflect Your love in all I do. Be glorified in my life today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

There are moments in life when our surroundings seem unremarkable. When the journey we are on seems routine, and our everything is ordinary. Life feels uneventful, until something opens our eyes. In Genesis 28, Jacob found himself in such a place. Fleeing his brother Esau, alone in the wilderness, and likely carrying more fear than faith, Jacob lay down to go to sleep, using a stone for a pillow. There were no visible signs of holiness around him. No temple. No sacred music. Just the dry ground beneath him and an uncertain road ahead him. But that night, God gave him a dream, a dream of angels ascending and descending on a ladder, where the heavens opened, and the Lord Himself speaking words of promise. When Jacob awoke, his stunned confession resonants through generations: “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!”

This is the mystery and mercy of God: He walks with us even when we do not perceive Him. His presence is not confined to sanctuaries or spiritual mountain tops, but often He accompanies us in exile, fear, and the mundane moments of life. Jacob’s realization reveals a deep theological truth for all of us. God’s nearness is not dependent on our awareness. Like Jacob, we may look back later and realize God was there all along, sustaining us and guiding us. The stone under Jacob’s head became the foundation of an altar. So too, our hardest places may become holy ground when we recognize God’s abiding presence.

There is great comfort in knowing that we don’t walk alone, not even when we feel most lost. When relationships fracture, when plans unravel, when we are in-between what was and what will be, God does not abandon us. He meets us on that particular road, and keeps step with us down it. The ladder in Jacob’s dream is a symbol of connection, heaven touching earth, the Divine stepping into our midst. In Christ, that image becomes even more vivid, as Jesus becomes the bridge between heaven and humanity, the God who not only walks with us but walks as one of us.

Let this be your assurance: the presence of God is not something you must chase down. It is something to wake up to. Whether you are in a season of joy or one of wandering, God is already present. So pause. Breathe. Look around. And remember, “Surely the Lord is in this place; you mght not have known it!”

Questions

Can you recall a time when you only recognized God’s presence in hindsight?

In what area of your life do you most need to hear, “Surely the Lord is in this place”?

Application

Take one moment today to pause and ask, “God, where are You in this?” Whether you’re doing something mundane like washing dishes, commuting, or walking outside, just pause and look around. Practice awareness by treating your ordinary surroundings as potential encounters with God. Journal what you notice and how it shifts your sense of God’s nearness.

Closing Prayer

Lord, open my eyes to see You in the places I least expect. In my struggles, my weariness, and even my daily routines, let me know You are near. May I awaken to Your presence and declare, “Surely the Lord is in this place.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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