Can We Really Trust His Word?

“He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 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 promised you.’  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’  He was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’  So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top. He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz.” Gen 28:12-29 (NAS)

I have a confession. Sometimes I don’t trust God’s Word. When I turn to a passage in church or in personal reading, I sometimes I think to myself, “Sure, God worked in the lives of Jacob, David, and the Apostle Paul, but will He really do the same for me?” When storms of trouble darken my days, I tend to question God’s Word and His promises. If God’s Word doesn’t capture my heart’s confidence, it won’t bear the fruit of love, obedience, and worship.

In 2003, one month after I began taking seminary classes, I fell asleep driving and rolled my car. After this accident, which caused physical and financial problems, I questioned God’s faithfulness and sovereignty. I wondered whether the Bible was true and whether God really cared about me. Where was God when I fell asleep at the wheel? Surely He could have awakened me before I hit the median. I wondered why He didn’t protect me like He promised to protect Jacob.

Genesis 28:12-19 illustrates Jacob’s trusting response to God’s revelation. Jacob, who fled from his angry brother after stealing his birth-right and blessing, collapsed in exhaustion on his way to Paddan Aram. Then, in a dream, God appeared to him.

As Jacob slept, he dreamt of a heavenly stairway connecting heaven and earth, and God standing sovereign above it. The angels traveling up and down on the stairway show God’s care for and activity in the affairs of His people. By revealing Himself to Jacob, God bridged the distance between His dwelling place and ours. While the Mesopotamians built ziggurats to ascend to the abode of the gods, Yahweh alone stands above Jacob’s stairway and sends His angels to achieve His plans on earth.

In this passage, God revealed His covenant promises—His presence, protection, and blessing—to Jacob. He reiterated the covenant He had made with Abraham in Genesis 12 and confirmed to Isaac in Genesis 26. God promised Jacob numerous descendants, the land on which he stood, worldwide blessing through his offspring, and His presence and protection. The Lord, who accomplishes His will on earth, could surely keep His promises to Jacob. And even though Jacob deceitfully gained the blessing, God showed His grace and His unconditional promises.

And just as God revealed His covenant to Jacob, He has disclosed His promises to us. But in the midst of difficulty, I struggle to depend on His promises. God has assured us of His presence (John 14:15-21), protection (John 17:11-19) and blessing (Rom 10:11-13). While God won’t give us any new revelation through dreams, God still speaks to us today. Many Christians think that if God would only speak directly to me, then I would understand His will and obey. I know I have wished for His direct revelation. But I would argue that we have something better.

Unlike Jacob, we don’t have to wait for God to show up in a vision, we can go to the bookstore and buy God’s revelation—the Bible. Or we can find it for free on the internet. We can even read it on our cell phones! We can learn about God’s character, promises and plans anytime. But do we trust in God’s Word, which reveals His control in our chaotic circumstances? Do we believe that it provides answers to our practical questions and our deepest longings? Do we trust and obey its Author? Like Jacob, we must respond to God’s Word with worship and trust.

In response to God’s revelation, Jacob anointed a pillar, established a place of worship and renamed the place Bethel, the House of God. Jacob’s declaration that this place would be God’s house pointed forward to the Temple, which served as God’s residence on earth, and the place where His people could commune with Him and worship Him. Jacob set up the stone to memorialize the reality of God’s His presence not only at Bethel, but with him throughout his journey. Jacob trusted God’s revelation and His promises.

So how should we respond to God’s Word?  We must remember His promises through faithful worship. God’s final revelation in the Person of Jesus Christ—the God-Man who connects heaven to earth—provides the means by which we can remember God’s faithful character and respond to Him with worship. In John 1:50-51, when calling His disciples, Jesus claimed to be Jacob’s stairway to heaven and the only way to commune with God. Jesus Christ bridged the gap between sinful people and a holy God. How often do we remember that through Jesus Christ we have access to our Father in heaven?  Have we lost the wonder of this amazing truth?  As Christians, we must trust that we have access to God and that He has given us His indwelling Holy Spirit as His constant presence with us. These truths should result in faithful worship in our everyday lives.

So how can we trust and obey God’s Word and His promises each day? We can participate in Communion with our local church, which reminds us of Jesus Christ’s atoning death, resurrection, and the promise of His future return (1 Cor 11:26). We can establish reminders of God’s promises and presence in our daily lives by keeping a journal of answered prayer.

God has vowed to never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised to conform us to the image of His Son. And He has promised His indwelling Spirit as a guarantee of our future resurrection. But how often do we remember these amazing truths that God has revealed in His Word?  Do we believe these truths?  We must establish pillars in our lives, just like Jacob, to remember the truths God has revealed in His Word and in His Son.