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Daily devotional · November 17

You Are Not Alone Here

“Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. On reaching a certain place, he spent the night there because the sun had set. And taking one of the stones from that place, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder. And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” When Jacob woke up, he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.” And 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 28:10-17 (BSB)Read the whole chapter →

Jacob is running away from home, spending the night in a barren place with a stone for a pillow. He is alone, guilty and afraid of what lies ahead. In his sleep he sees a stairway connecting earth and heaven, and God speaks a promise to be with him wherever he goes. When he wakes, he is amazed: God was in this place, and he did not know it. Loneliness can make a place feel abandoned, but this story says God is present even in the empty stretches of our lives. Today, if you feel alone, pray a simple sentence: Lord, be here with me. Then reach out to one person by text or call, since God often shows up through people. If loneliness feels heavy or lasting, consider talking with a pastor or counselor. You do not have to carry it in silence.

Prayer

God, I feel alone today, and I ask You to be near. Show me one person I can reach out to. Amen.

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