Jacob had that one memorable encounter when God was no longer just the God of his forefathers but truly became his<\/u><\/em> Lord \u2013 the God he \u201csaw face to face\u201d who renamed him Israel. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n But long before that fateful night when he wrestled with God, Jacob had experienced another encounter with God \u2013 albeit unintentionally. In Genesis 28:10-19<\/strong>, we see how Jacob, having fled from his brother Esau, arrives at a \u201ccertain place<\/em>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n That night, Jacob has an amazing dream, where he sees a ladder ascending from earth to heaven and he hears from God. Many of us remember this story for that dream but this passage is also<\/u> rich in revealing the characteristics of that \u201ccertain place<\/em>\u201d where God meets man.<\/span><\/p>\n Jacob had inadvertently stumbled upon the secret place, as he says in Genesis 28:16 <\/em><\/strong>\u201cSurely the\u00a0Lord\u00a0is in this place, and I was not aware of it\u201d <\/em><\/strong>and these were all the treasures he received.<\/span><\/p>\n In this “place<\/em>” Jacob found<\/em> God\u2019s peace, refuge and rest<\/em> (v.11<\/strong>); experienced angelic activities and supernatural encounters<\/em> (v.12<\/strong>); received a revealation of God\u2019s plans for him and a word in season<\/em> (v.12-15<\/strong>); heard God\u2019s voice and received His grace<\/em> (v.13-15<\/strong>); was filled with God\u2019s Presence<\/em> (v.16<\/strong>); experienced the wonder and holy fear of who God truly is<\/em> (v.17<\/strong>); and discovered the place where He dwells<\/em> (v. 17-19<\/strong>).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We too can expect<\/u> to experience all these, and more, when we seek God in our secret place. One of the biggest treasures when we encounter God in the quiet is that we experience His glorious PEACE but here\u2019s the key:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n God\u2019s peace embraces you only<\/u> when you are at rest.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unfortunately, too often in life, we experience situations that make us feel as though we are hanging on by a fraying thread of hope. Life has a way of leaving us restless, especially when we take our eyes off Jesus and settle our gaze on our circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When we make room for anxiety to crawl into our hearts because we become overwhelmed by difficult situations, our peace is the first to leave<\/u>. Restlessness robs us of God\u2019s peace.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rest comes when you stop wrestling on your own and hand the reins over to God.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Jesus promised us in John 14:27, <\/em><\/strong>“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jesus made a beautiful exchange in this one verse. He gave us His Peace in exchange for every turmoil that torments us. He is saying that everything we are struggling with is already<\/em> in His capable hands.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jesus is asking us to rest<\/strong> because His peace is already<\/u> ours to behold. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He also reminded us that He does not<\/u> give as the world gives. What the world offers is often a fleeting escape that we mistakenly turn to for rest. They take our mind off things and distract us for a moment, sometimes with pleasure but none<\/u> give us the lasting peace or rest that our soul craves.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The pursuit of peace is our world\u2019s biggest preoccupation. Everyone is looking for peace of mind but the problem is we are always looking for peace in the wrong places and according to our own understanding. It only leads to unrest. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n There is only one recourse to remove restlessness and that is God\u2019s Peace. It transcends all understanding and sometimes defies logic but every single time, it is enduring.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Philippians 4:6-7 says, \u201cDo not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and <\/em><\/strong>the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our peace cannot be dependent on external circumstances of the world because those will constantly change. When our source of peace is from the Prince of Peace then it will permeate through us in an unshakable way. God\u2019s Peace is never affected by external circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When God\u2019s peace is at the center<\/u> of our hearts, we will be able to withstand walking through the rockiest terrain in life because we will have the confidence that the journey is temporary – God’s peace is everlasting. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n God\u2019s peace comes from your intimacy with Him when you rest IN Him because you trust<\/u> Him. It is the result of your faith<\/u> in God. The more you rest, the more you will allow yourself to be cradled peacefully in His arms.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rest in God makes room for His perfect Peace, which then leads you to more Rest.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He will keep us in perfect peace when our minds are steadfast, because we trust in God (Isaiah 26:3).<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n |Share The Good News|<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Suzane Avadiar<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.pinimg.com\/originals\/fe\/d0\/1a\/fed01ade3b237d228e3029f1ab126352.jpg\")
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\nSuzane Avadiar<\/strong>\u00a0is a writer, blogger and avid traveller. Over the last 17 years,\u00a0she has written extensively for various publications in the global marketplace.\u00a0Writing is not only her passion but also her instrument of worship. She has a deep desire to reveal the Father\u2019s heart through her writings, so that every reader steps into their God-given identity. Suzane also writes daily devotions on social media for her church,\u00a0Destiny C3 Subang<\/a>. She recently completed her first book,\u00a0Sent To Journey \u2013 Devotions for the Traveller, and is pursuing publishing opportunities. She can be reached through her blog at\u00a0www.suzaneavadiar.com<\/a>\u00a0or on her\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0page.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n