So Israel took his journey with all that he had. Genesis 46:1
Change is rarely easy, especially for an old man like Jacob. God had led his grandfather Abraham to Canaan, and Jacob spent most of his life there. Now he must leave everything familiar and move into a new life that was completely unknown.
This is a story for those times when your life takes an unexpected turn, and God calls you to something new. You leave what is familiar—the church you love, the home you have enjoyed, or the job you know. You go to a new school, take a new position, arrive in a new city, and God opens a new chapter in your life. You are uprooted, and now you are on your way to another place, another life, and you really don’t know what it will be like.
Jacob was in this position. He was facing a huge transition in his life. The good part was he would be with Joseph, whom he loved. Even so, this was a journey into the unknown and, as Jacob thought about what lay ahead, he was filled with many fears. We know that because God said to him, “Do not be afraid” (46:3).
“Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba” (46:1). Beersheba was a significant place for Jacob, who was also known as Israel. God met with his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac in Beersheba (Gen. 21:33; 26:25). So Jacob must have thought, “God met with Abraham there, and with Isaac there. Perhaps He will meet there with me too.” So Jacob went to Beersheba, where he offered sacrifices to God.
Jacob was facing a future he had not planned on. He didn’t know what lay ahead. Everything was changing for him, and more than ever before he felt that he needed to meet with God.
Are you dealing with a major change? Are you experiencing some fears and uncertainties about the future? Do you feel a need to meet with God?
