The Weekly Word - A Devotion for the Week of May 24

May 21, 2021

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of Heaven.” (Genesis 28: 16-17)

When Jacob awoke from a dream in which God had spoken to him, he proclaimed that the land upon which he had lain his head was holy ground – “the house of God and the gate of Heaven.” Jacob’s eyes were opened, and he saw that he was in the midst of God’s presence.

Sometimes we read stories in the bible like this one or the story of Moses and the burning bush, and we assume that these holy men can somehow see something we’re not able to. Maybe we find ourselves assuming that only famous biblical folks are shown “holy ground” or “the gate of heaven,” while ordinary people like ourselves aren’t privy to such revelations.

But revelations such as those experienced by Jacob and Moses are indeed intended for us as well. We, too, are being called to open our eyes, to awaken to the holy presence of God that is all around us, permeating every facet of our ordinary days.

All of Earth is God’s creation and every bit of it is holy ground. As we go about our everyday work and leisure – doing our jobs, cleaning our homes, caring for our loved ones, folding laundry and mowing the lawn and getting the oil changed in the minivan -- we are doing it all in “none other than the house of God.” We are, in every moment, walking through the gate of Heaven here on Earth.

God is calling us to awaken from our sleep and proclaim in awe and wonder, as Jacob did, “How awesome is this place!” Let us open our eyes to God’s presence all around us. 

Gracious God, honestly, I hadn’t ever really considered the fact that Your house is my own humble backyard, my kitchen, my office, my neighborhood. Your domain is Heaven and Earth – and not just in church and other “holy” places, but right here in the ordinary of my own life. You are in this place, and because of that, this place is holy. I am grateful for Your presence here with me. Amen.


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