“…I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.” (Genesis 35:3b NLT)
Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there. (Genesis 35:14-15 NLT)
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT)
Other words for distress are anxiety, disappointment, perplexity, vexation, and heartbreak. There are more in the thesaurus but these concepts stand out for me as we navigate through the COVID-19 storm. Early in January my daily Bible reading took me to Genesis 35. Knowing the story of Jacob and the challenges he went through, this was my prayer, “So many times, God, we’ve been in distress and we’ve prayed to You and You stayed with us all through our journey, every move, every place we’ve lived. I’m struck by the fact that You ‘went up’ from the place where You spoke to Jacob. Did he see You go, keeping his eyes on You? I want to keep my eyes on You. May my LIFE be like a stone pillar to mark that You have spoken into me.”
As the weeks go by during quarantine, what kind of stone pillar am I putting in place to honor God? I picture Jacob searching for just the perfect rocks to pile up on top of each other to form his pillar. Maybe some have a sheen and sparkle to them while others have a dull finish but are solid and firm. Will my pillar have rocks that shine out and chunks that give stability? Like the piece of sparkly quartz as I’m standing patiently in line at the grocery store and there’s no toilet paper in stock, or the marble slabs of gratitude for the medical professionals putting their lives on the line. A plain and solid rock goes into place when I act in kindness and with a smile. And how about a big ol’ conglomerate boulder of respect for our government leaders trying to do what’s right to keep us as safe as possible. And let me not forget the foundational granite stone of faith as I trust God when our income source is denied because our business is non-essential. Or will my pillar crumble to gravel under the pick axes of anger, bitterness, blaming and doubt?
When I remember that it is God Who is my strength and it pleases Him to make me strong (Psalm 89:17 NLT), I’m confident His inscriptions will cover the structure as each stone settles into position. This attitude is free for the embracing; I encourage you to start gathering your stones as you shelter in place. What beautiful monuments we’ll have to mark where God has spoken.
