IN A GOOD PLACE

Gen. 28:10-12 Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone for a pillow and lay down to sleep. As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from earth to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down on it.

Jacob was in a good place; he was in a place where he would meet with God. How long has it been since you were in a good place? It is so easy to get distracted and get in a place where we don't hear from God. It's easy to let the things of life take the place of God in our lives. How do we keep ourselves in a place where we can hear from God?

One of the most obvious things we can do is to read our Bibles faithfully. God speaks through His Word. It is there that God has made known to us His ways. It is there that God instructs us on how to live holy lives. It is there that we find renewed encouragement as we see God working in the lives of others. It is there that we are given hope for both today and our tomorrows. It is there that we see ourselves as God sees us. God continues to speak to us today when we faithfully read His Word.

Another thing we should be doing faithfully is pray. God speaks to us in prayer. When we intentionally set aside time in our daily living to spend time in the presence of God, God speaks to us. He tells us about ourselves. He tells us what He wants us to do. He tells us who we ought to pray for. It is in our prayer time that we are drawn closest to God. It is there that we have intimate fellowship with the Lord.

Another thing we should be doing is being in a place of worship, a place where we express our adoration for God and give Him praise and thanksgiving. Whether we are in a group setting with other worshipers or by ourselves, we need time alone with God. We need to appreciate the handiwork of God in, and outside of, us. God speaks to those who sincerely lift up their souls in worship.