This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Shadows: A Glimpse of a Stairway! (WATCH HERE)
Back to the “Glimpse of a Stairway” (after a diversion yesterday for Leap Day!)
Jacob was on the run. He had ticked off his brother (to put it mildly). His parents wanted him to find a wife from their own people in Haran. He didn’t know when he would be back or if he would be back. It seems he left with some simple provisions and what he could carry. At the end of a long day of travel, he laid down to rest.
Certainly the dream that the Lord showed him was a dream to remind him of God’s presence and his promises. But it wasn’t just to be a one night event. God wanted to change his focus.
Jacob had been focused on doing things his way. A bit of deception and trickery to get what he wanted. Sure it was couched under the “godly” category because he was to be the child of the promise. But there was a lack of trust God would work it out. Jacob saw things from an earthly perspective and figured out earthly solutions to work out what he understood God’s plan to be.
Did Jacob continue to struggle with this throughout his life? Yes, he did. But this dream and this place were to serve a purpose to reorient his focus.
Like a child standing at the base of a stairway looking up, wondering what is up there, is Jacob standing at the base of the stairway God showed him to view his Lord at the top. God didn’t want him to forget this perspective.
He doesn’t want us to forget this perspective.
Every child of God is given a new focus when they are made alive through the working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God shifts our eyes to look up and see what is in heaven and focus on that rather than simply walking through life with our heads down. The Apostle Paul put it this way (Colossians 3:1-3):
3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Set your hearts on things above. Set your mind on things above.
Here’s what I picture. A young toddler has never ventured by himself up the stairs. As they are sitting at the bottom of the stairs, their yearning and desire to get up the stairs grow. Finally the fears are overcome by the desire of their heart and they start climbing. If they look back, they get stuck and don’t keep moving, but if they keep their eyes focused up and their mind set on getting to the top, they keep going.
This is the resolve that Christ gives us as he gives us the privilege of living with the reality of the stairway to heaven given to us. While our hearts and minds are tempted to stay focused on this earth, the Lord at the top encourages us to keep our hearts and minds focused on him.
What happens? We go through life enjoying the presence and promises of God, just like Jacob did. We go through life realizing we have the gateway to heaven secured in Jesus. We go through life anticipating the glorious day when we will be with the Lord all because Jesus has done all that is necessary for us to enjoy not just a dream, but the reality that God has given to us his Son, the Stairway to heaven!
Apply: What might you do as a daily reminder to keep your heart and mind focused on Christ?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for all the wonderful pictures you have used to communicate your love and commitment to us. Thank you for sending Jesus to this earth so that he might be our Stairway to spend an eternity with you in heaven! AMEN.