Where do you worship God? I’m not asking for a geographic location—latitude and longitude.

I’m asking for a place in your life where you worship God.

For Jacob, this place came when he crossed a stream to get back into the Promised Land.

Many years had passed since Jacob fled the Promised Land. Many years had passed since Jacob’s brother, Esau, threatened to kill him. Why? Because Jacob lied, cheated, and stole to take away Esau’s birthright and blessing.

During those years away from the Promised Land, Jacob was the victim of lying, cheating and stealing.

During those years away from the Promised Land, Jacob became rich with many goats, sheep, camels, cows, and donkeys.

During those years, Jacob was blessed with two wives and eleven sons.

Now, Jacob was fleeing again. His in-laws became jealous of Jacob’s wealth. They became mad at Jacob for getting rich at their expense.

As Jacob entered the Promised Land, he sent messengers to make sure Esau still didn’t want to kill him. Unfortunately, Esau still held a grudge for losing his birthright and blessing.

“When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, ‘We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him’” (Genesis 32:7).

At these tidings, Jacob was overcome with “great fear and distress.”

Jacob took practical steps against the danger. He separated his family and wealth into two groups. He hoped that if Esau destroyed one group, he might be fooled, and the other group would escape. One more lie by Jacob to cheat Esau.

But then, Jacob prayed. In all of the many stories about Jacob in the Bible, this was the first time that he prayed.

Jacob confessed to the LORD his God, “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant.” (Genesis 32:10). Jacob confessed he was unworthy of God’s Amazing Grace.

Then Jacob did something else he’d never done before in any of the stories about him. He asked God to save him. He said, “Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me . . . .” (Genesis 32:11).

Then Jacob did something else that he’d never done before in any of the stories about him. He thought about the well-being of someone other than himself.

Jacob told God he was afraid that Esau would attack “the mothers with their children.”

And finally, Jacob did something else he had never done before. He gave Esau a gift.

Indeed, Jacob prepared a huge gift for Esau—hundreds of goats and sheep, together with dozens of camels, cattle and donkeys. He hoped that these gifts would pacify Esau. (Genesis 32:13-21).

Jacob took his entire family and crossed “the ford of the Jabbak. After he had sent them across the stream he sent over all his possessions.” (Genesis 32:22).

“So Jacob was left alone” (Genesis 32:24).

That night, Jacob couldn’t sleep. It was more than just nerves. The Bible tells us that he “wrestled” with God himself. (Genesis 32:24, 30).

Jacob wrestled so hard that “his hip was wrenched as he wrestled” (Genesis 32:25). In the morning, “he was limping because of his hip” (Genesis 32:31).

Jacob could not run away from his problems this time!

God gave Jacob a new name: “Israel!”  (Genesis 32:28).

This new name suited this “new Jacob” who prayed, admitted he was unworthy of God’s Amazing Grace, asked God to save him, thought about the well-being of others, and gave gifts to pacify his enemies.

God told this “new Jacob” that he deserved the name Israel “because [he had] struggled with God and with humans and [had] overcome”. (Genesis 32:28).

Despite this encouraging message from God, Jacob must have gulped as he saw the “message” coming from Esau. He “looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men” (Genesis 33:1).

Jacob hurriedly divided the children among their mothers. Then “[h]e himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother” (Genesis 33:1-3).

Jacob must have braced himself for disaster. At best, he could expect a humiliating tongue-lashing. At worst, he could expect to see his wives and children slaughtered before his eyes as part of his torture before Esau killed him.

In his most optimistic moments, I doubt Jacob ever dared to hope for a “happy ending” to his meeting with Esau. But that’s what happened.

“Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept” (Genesis 33:4).

Esau showed Jacob “Amazing Grace” by forgiving Jacob. Despite their 20-year old feud, Esau kissed Jacob instead of killing him.

Jacob and Esau never became best friends. They parted again that same day (Genesis 33:16). But at least they were no longer enemies.

And so, after twenty years in exile, Jacob limped home to the Promised Land as a new person named Israel.

A new person:

     —who prayed,

     —who admitted that he was unworthy of God’s Amazing Grace,

     —who asked God to save him,

     —who thought about the well-being of others, and

     —who gave gifts to pacify his enemies.

A new person named Israel who was ready to be a blessing to others.

If you are at a place in your life where you are overcome with fear and distress—a place where you want to become a new person—then you are at a “place of worship”.

You are at a place in your life where you need to pray, confessing that you are unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness God has shown you. You are at a place in your life where you need to confess that you are unworthy of God’s Amazing Grace.

You are at a place in your life where you need to ask God to save you from the bad consequences of your bad actions. You are at a place in your life where you need to ask God to save you from the consequences of the times when you did whatever it took (including lying, cheating and stealing) to get whatever you wanted.

You are at a place in your life where you care about the well-being of others and you take actions to help them.

You are at a place in your life where you take actions to be reconciled with those you treated badly.

You are at a place in your life where you are all alone, wrestling with God.

You are at a place in your life where you can no longer run away from the consequences of your bad actions.

You are at a place in your life where you are ready to limp over a stream to return to your Promised Land as a new person.

A new person:

     —who prays.

     —who admits that you are unworthy of God’s Amazing Grace,

     —who asks God to save you,

     —who thinks about the well-being of others, and

     —who gives gifts to pacify your enemies.

A new person who is ready to be a blessing to others.

READ MORE

To read about additional places of worship, please read my blogs “Places of Worship—Rainbows” and “Places of Worship—Stone Pillows”.

To read more about God’s Amazing Grace, please read my blogs “Love Overcomes Karma” and “Love Overcomes Karma—Jesus”.

To read more about Jacob, please read the chapter “Jacob” in my book The Promised Land, at pages 43-71.