On Your Night at Bethel

Daily Scripture Threshing for Today, Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Today's Text: Genesis 28:10-22

Key Verse: Genesis 28:15 (HCSB): "Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

I don't know about you; but I have been at a number of crossroads in my years of sojourn in this world so far. I've had situations in which I've been unsure which path to take. But I guess all of us have faced some sorts of challenges and uncertainties in the past. They are not to break us; instead, they often set us at golden moments of divine help. God's word offers us several practical landmarks to guide and settle us in our places and moments of confusion. Today's Scripture brings us to the place of realization that we are never alone. Jacob's Bethel experience speaks to this fact. Like him, we find ourselves in similar situations, leaving or fleeing a home, a job, a relationship, or anything that looks like comfort zone for us.

However, no matter how uncertain about the future we are, God always meets us in a remarkable place or way that sets oyr lives journeys on a new course. God's presence is not limited by location. One would have thought that Jacob's flee was a departure from God's presence but his dream at Bethel teaches that God is not confined to a specific location, situation, temple or place. He is present even in the most desolate, foreign places. No matter our paths, God meets us in unexpected ways to help us set our lives on a new course. Whether you are the weary traveler like Jacob, or a professional facing an uncertain career path, a single parent struggling to make ends meet, widow or an orphan, God is there to transform things for you irrespective of your circumstances, status, or physical location.

We can be sure of the reliability and continuity of God's covenant no matter where life jolts us. You might be experiencing a desert night right now but that might be your Bethel too, where God is waiting to reaffirm the covenant He made with patriachs before you. Brethren, we can be sure of God's faithfulness across generations. At Jacob's Bethel, God's previous promises becomes personal covenant—"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go" (v. 15)—a powerful promise of divine protection and guidance, even in the midst of fear and uncertainty. Today, I see God transforming a simple experience into a memorial of divine encounter that will mark a key spiritual moments in your life, in Jesus' name.

God is always with us including in our desolate places. You may be facing times of fear, uncertainty, and loneliness, much like Jacob; but always remember that God is present with you even when you feel abandoned or lost. You may have no stone literally set up as pillars, but nothing can deprive you of your own "Bethels," which may involve setting aside a specific time or place for prayer, making a conscious decision to see a difficult location as a place where God met you, simply pausing to acknowledge God's presence in your everyday life, or a clear commitment to worship and commit to a stewardship of giving, tithing and serving.

Action Steps: Trust God's promise to "be with you wherever you go. Let His word be your source of strength as you face anxieties and fears. Identify places or moments where you've experienced God's presence, and set them apart as reminders of His faithfulness. In times of uncertainty, turn to prayer and Scripture for direction and peace. Commit to a life of worship and stewardship. Regularly dedicate time for prayer, worship, and giving as a way of acknowledging God's sovereignty in your life. Develop the habit of consciously pausing to acknowledge God's presence as simple as saying: "God, I know You are here!"

Quote for the Day: "Our greatest uncertainties often become the sacred ground where God makes His presence most certain." (Simon Olatunji #quotablequote)

Let Us Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your constant presence in my life, even in my moments of fear and uncertainty. I pray that You would open my eyes to see my current circumstances not as a barrier, but as a "Bethel," a place where You are waiting to meet me and reaffirm Your promises. Help me to trust in Your presence, Your protection, and Your guidance, knowing that You will never leave me until You have fulfilled every promise You have made. Help me to trust in Your promises and follow Your guidance, even in uncertain times, and in every situation — in Jesus's most glorious name. Amen.

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Thank you for being part of this journey. For additional reading on today's meditation, read: Psalm 23:1-6; Matthew 28:20; and Deuteronomy 31:6.

With all my love and prayers,

Rev Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.

Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)

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