January 11, 2019: SOAP #3326:  Genesis 27-28; Psalm 4; Luke 11

Scripture:  Genesis (NIV) 28:11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Luke (NIV) 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray…”

Observation:  Jacob was tired so when he reached a “certain place” he prepared a place for sleep. It was a certain place, because it had a unique location.  It was not another place.  It had no specific characteristics to make it a special place.  It was just a certain place.  It is special because of what God did!

Jesus was with His disciples in a certain place.  It was not the temple.  There was nothing special about the place.  There is no mention of what made it a special place—except He was praying.  The disciples were watching and listening to His prayers and were stirred to say, “Teach us to pray.”  It is what Jesus did that made it a special place!

Application:  There are special places in my life that are special only because of what God did in that place.  The place was not very notable before, but He made it unforgettable!  In one place He spoke to my heart.  In another place He healed me.  And in another…

Today my path will take me to places that do not look very interesting.  I have been to them before.  There is nothing special.  But I believe God will make one or two of them special—they will become that “certain place.”  It might be a place where I can pray with someone.

Prayer:   Lord, I sure do not want to miss the places you speak to my heart.  I do not want to miss your “certain places.”  Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!