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Daily Devotion: Genesis 35:9-12

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Genesis 35:9-12    "And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land." 

God appeared unto Jacob again. This is such a simple statement, but it is also a statement of great hope for Jacob and for us. We see God’s hand of assurance on Jacob over and over in his journey. We know that God has not changed because we see his hand of assurance in our lives over and over as we journey through life. 

This time of God’s appearance was marked by an act of obedience on Jacob’s part. God had told him it was time to leave the land of his father-in-law, Laban, who dwelled in Padanaram. Jacob was obedient to God’s command, and we see God appearing to him and blessing him. We should never fall into the mindset that God owes us a blessing when we are obedient. Blessings are just that, and they are GIVEN to us by God’s grace and never out of debt. 

God’s appearance was not only for a blessing. God also had instruction for Jacob. First, God pointed out to Jacob exactly who he was: “your name is Jacob.” This was not just a declaration that God knew his name but also that God knew his nature. Again, God is still the same today. He knows exactly who we are.

The glorious truth in this is that God also has the power to change who we are. Not only does He know who we are, but He knows who we will be. He has the power to call us by another name and to give us another nature. I am so thankful for the change that God worked in my life!

With that new name came the assurance that His promises were sure and steadfast. While we might be changed by His grace, He never changes. He is God Almighty, and His word is commandments are true and holy. Like Jacob, we today are to be fruitful and multiply in the kingdom of our God. 

We are called to be kings and priests unto God (Revelation 1:6). He calls us into a land of promise (His kingdom here). We are blessed to serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus Himself is our great High Priest. We dwell in heavenly places in Christ in the land that God promised to Israel and his seed of which land Canaan was the foreshadowing. What a blessing it is to dwell in a spiritual land that flows with milk and honey!

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