Dreaming in Hard Places

For the one in a hard place — you can still dream with God. You can still encounter God in the middle of pain. Consider the story of Jacob.

Jacob’s name meant “he cheats.” In Genesis 27, he was sent away from his home because he deceived his father and betrayed his brother. As the day turned to night, Jacob laid down using a stone for a pillow. That’s a hard place.

In this uncomfortable, maybe even regretful place, Jacob had a dream. He had an encounter with God. Angels were ascending and descending from heaven on a staircase. God was with him and declared a blessing and promise to Jacob. This promise included land, offspring, and the presence of God.

Jacob didn’t have to cheat, manipulate, or take control to receive God’s blessing. It was an open heaven, freely given.

When Jacob woke up, he took the stone that he used as a pillow and set it up as a pillar, and called the place Bethel (house of God). And as he began his journey into the blessing that was promised to him, he rejoiced at the coming restoration. “…so that I may come again to my father’s house in peace…”

From pillow to pillar, as I once heard a friend say. From hard place to house of God. Oh, the things God wants to dream and build with us.

I can relate to Jacob’s story. Maybe you can too. Parts of my testimony are built from hard places. I’ve made embarrassing decisions that inflicted pain on others. I’ve been hurt by other people’s actions. I’ve experienced loss. But the pains in those places have never been the highlight. The highlight has been the promises spoken to me in the middle of pain. The encounters with God in the hard places. I’m still reaping a harvest of promises!

Jacob’s journey took a different turn at the place he called Bethel. It wasn’t an immediate fulfillment. He experienced more pain along the way. But God changed his name to Israel, and he built a family on the land that was promised to him. His sons and their families became the twelve tribes of Israel. One of his sons was Joseph, another dreamer.

We can dream in hard places. We can still encounter God there. God doesn’t push us away in punishment or leave us alone in pain. He is always with us, pulling us closer. We can lay our head down in hard places, and we can rise from there. We can turn pillows to pillars, like Jacob, and declare the hard place a house of God. 

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photo by anna shvets