📖 From the Bible
Jacob set out on the road to a faraway city called Haran.
In the evening the sun went down, so Jacob stayed the night where he was. He picked up a stone, put it under his head, and fell asleep.
In a dream he saw a ladder. It stood on the ground, and the top of it reached heaven. Angels were going up and down on the ladder.
Above the ladder stood God. He said, “I am the God of your grandfather Abraham and of your dad Isaac. I will give the land you’re lying on to you and your family. There will be as many of you as the dust on the ground. You will spread out to the east, west, north and south. Through you, I will show kindness to people all over the earth.”
God added, “I am with you. I will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done everything I promised you.”
Jacob woke up and said, “God is really here, and I didn’t know it!”
He was scared and said, “What an amazing place! This is God’s house, and the gate of heaven.”
10Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13Behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your offspring. 14Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.” 16Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I didn’t know it.” 17He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”
This is how we tell this passage to kids. The exact words of the Bible are under “As it is in the Bible”.
Genesis 28:10-17 · Scripture: World English Bible Updated (public domain)
Your first night away from home: at camp, at your grandma’s, or at a friend’s house. A different bed, different sounds. Everyone you love is far away. It feels a little strange, doesn’t it? Jacob had a night like that, too. His bed was the ground, and his pillow was a rock.
Jacob had tricked his older brother Esau. Esau got so angry that Jacob had to run away from home. They couldn’t live together anymore. Jacob walked a long way, toward the family of his mom. In the evening it got dark, and there wasn’t a single house around. Jacob was alone, far from everyone he loved. He picked up a stone, put it under his head, and fell asleep. Imagine that pillow! Comfy? Not really.
In his dream Jacob saw a ladder. It stood on the ground, and the top of it reached heaven. Angels, God’s messengers, were going up and down on it. And above the ladder stood God Himself. First He repeated to Jacob the promise He had once given to Abraham. And then He said, “I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land.” He promised He would not leave him. Sounds like the best promise in the world, right?
Jacob woke up scared. He said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I didn’t know it.” It looks like in the evening he thought he was completely alone. And God had been there the whole time. Have you ever felt like nobody was around? And then it turned out someone had been close by after all? In the morning Jacob set up the stone as a marker. He named the place Bethel, which means God’s house.
God didn’t wait for Jacob to reach the end of the road. He was with him in the middle of it. Right when Jacob was tired and far from home. God is close, even when you can’t see Him.
Did you know?
Jacob didn’t climb that ladder. God was the one standing above it, and He spoke first. Remember the tower of Babel? There, people built a tower all by themselves, trying to reach heaven. Here it’s the other way around. Heaven comes to a person. God Himself comes down to Jacob and tells him He’s with him. Nobody has to climb up to Him.
Look at Jesus
Many years later, Jesus told His friends something amazing. He said, “you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” That’s a name Jesus used for Himself. It’s just like Jacob’s ladder. Jesus connects heaven and earth. Because of Him, God is close to every one of us.
What about you?
Sleeping somewhere for the first time? At camp, at a relative’s house, or in the hospital? Before you fall asleep, say quietly, “God, I know You’re here.” You don’t have to prove anything. God is wherever you are. Even when you miss home. Or when the dark scares you a little. In the morning, think about what helped you fall asleep. Maybe that was God being close.
Let’s talk about it
- How do you feel in a place that’s totally new?
- Remember the story: what did Jacob have under his head instead of a pillow, and what did he see in his dream?
- What helps you when you sleep away from home? Or can you think of something else?
Today’s challenge
Tonight, say one sentence to God: “I know You’re here with me.” Put something next to you that makes you feel safe.
Prayer
God, thank You for being with me at home, at school, and in places I don’t know yet. When I’m scared or I miss home, remind me that You don’t leave me. Amen.
Tap when you have prayed.