Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, "I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed. Your seed 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 seed will all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, 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." Genesis 28:13–15 WEB.

Jacob was a young man running for his life. He had deceived their father Isaac and stolen his brother Esau's birthright. Esau was a renowned hunter, and he planned to kill Jacob as soon as their father Isaac died, so Jacob had to flee. He planned to stay with his uncle Laban for a while, so he traveled all day until nightfall, then found a place to sleep. As Jacob lay down to get some rest that night, God appeared to him in a dream, and He told him many things that were to come. He encouraged Jacob and told him, " I am with you and will keep you wherever you go."

Jacob was a bit of a rogue. His name means "He cheats, the supplanter, he undermines, the heel," yet God wasn't interested in Jacob's past. He spoke only of his future. Jacob lived his life, spent some time wrestling with God, and became a different man. God eventually changed Jacob's name to "Israel," meaning "Who prevails with God" (Genesis 32:28).

Decades later, when Jacob returned to Bethel, where he had the dream, he was healthy, wealthy, married, had a dozen children, many servants, a great testimony, and a new name. The Lord fulfilled His promises to Jacob just as He had spoken, but Jacob became a better man during the process.

God always sees the potential in us, and He calls us into our future, even though some of us could use a new identity like Jacob. God is faithful to provide what we need when we put Him first in our lives, even a completely new identity. We can become better than we are. We do not have to be who we were in the past.

The things that the Lord has spoken to your heart, He will fulfill, no matter how impossible or unlikely it appears. Hang on in faith. Know that we will see the goodness of God in the land of the living. Though it seems long, wait for it, for it will surely come.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You so much for all You do for me. Please mold me, shape me, and help me become the very best version of myself. May my family and I all come to know You more deeply. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: For those who would like to join us, today we will be hosting our RHM Live Online church service. This is a special time of interactive worship, prayer, fellowship and an inspiring message. All are welcome! The service starts at 10am EST. Here is the link to join: RHM Live. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.