Sometimes you have to let dreams die before they can really come alive.

You may be familiar with the story of "Jacob's Ladder" found in Genesis 28. We usually jump straight to the angelic encounters and declaration's of God, but I think we ought to imagine for a moment the scenes just before, the emotional build-up that set the stage for those encounters.

Jacob, whose name means "deceiver" has just lived up to his name. Twice. I don't know about you, but if I walked around my whole life with people calling me Deceiver, I'd feel pretty degraded. Especially when its true, then those accusations begin to become what you believe too. Have you ever wondered how Jacob felt after he tricked his brother out of his birthright and lied to his Father to get his blessing? As he fled to another country in shame I'm sure all he could think was, "Well I guess it's true. I've finally lived up to my name."

So there he is, running for his life, feeling like a failure. Oh and then you have to remember what he's leaving behind. As he lays his head down on a rock (comfy huh?) he's remembering his mother's smile, his father's embrace, his childhood friends. He's leaving all he's ever known behind. He's also leaving behind some pretty big promises. He's supposed to inherit all that land, but now he only has a rock for a pillow. He's supposed to be a father of many generations, but now he's going to a foreign land where he know's no one. He's supposed to receive his forefather Abraham's blessing, but now he's an outcast from his own family.

All of this is pressing down upon his soul. Disappointment. Shame. Accusation. Things are definitely not looking like he thought they would. It is THEN, that God opens up the heavens in a dream and reveals the angels ascending and descending. It is THEN that God declares to him all of the promises again and assures him "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” He assures him of the promise and of His faithfulness despite the outward circumstances. What I especially love is that God told Jacob, "I will bring you back" but He didn't say how He would bring him back or how long he'd be gone. He didn't tell Jacob he would spend the next decade or more working for his uncle who would trick him, change his wages and all sorts of things. Nor did God tell him he'd have to wrestle an angel all night resulting in a limp before he could come back. But he did promise Jacob, "I will bring you back".

As Jacob left, he really had to let those dreams die. They were important promises to his life, but as he left it all behind his heart had to wrestle with the fact that he didn't know when or how he'd come back. Sometime's God asks us to do that. He asks us to let go of the legitament promises and allow him to work in an unseen way in our lives. Sometimes we have to wrestle with God to get that promise back. But God often strengthen's our heart for the journey by saying, "I will be with you and I will bring you back."