Jacob has a dream and sees a ladder that goes up to heaven. He sees angels going up and down the ladder.

God Himself now passes on the Abrahamic Covenant to Jacob. His descendants will be numerous and will be given that land. Everyone on earth will be blessed through his family. Then God adds that He will keep Jacob, guard him in all his ways and that He’ll bring Jacob back to this land. God promises to accomplish His word.

Jacob wakes up amazed. He pours oil over his pillow, a stone. He calls it the House of God. He makes a deal with God, though God doesn’t ask Him to. God has already stated His promise, and it will not change.

Jacob feels like he has to earn it and wants God to prove His part. He has a small view of God. He calls the stone God’s house. He only asks God for food and clothing and to be with him and guard him. Jacob says if God does that for Him, then He will be Jacob’s God. In return, Jacob promises a tithe, a tenth of what God provides him.

God doesn’t need to prove Himself to us. His word is true and He is faithful. He cannot lie. God chose Jacob. He revealed Himself to Jacob in a dream. God made beautiful promises to Jacob.

This wasn’t new to Jacob. He had heard the promise from his father. He knew the Lord was the God of His parents. He should have grown up serving God, but here he is trying to strike a bargain.

God’s faithfulness isn’t something we need to earn. We can’t buy His favor with vows and promises. Jacob already had the blessing, and it was binding.

God doesn’t want our money or anything else. He wants our trust. He wants us to love Him fully so that we trust Him fully. He wants us to trust His enormous, unfailing, unending love for us. Any attempts at earning His love, show we don’t trust Him, don’t really believe in His great love for us.

Abandon yourself into His deep love for you. There’s more blessing there than you could ever hope to earn.