The God of [Even] Jacob

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The giant hole in the ground.

Have you found yourself in the middle of a troubling situation? Have you felt alone, lost, or confused about what to do?

When I was in high school, my family packed into an RV and headed out toward the west coast of the United States. My family consisted of my mom, dad, and four brothers. I’m the oldest child in my family and was 15 years old, and the youngest was 5 years old. We left Central Florida with our eyes on the Grand Canyon and stopped to see everything else in-between. You can imagine the patience my parents had with five children, let alone five boys cooped up in a small house on wheels for three-weeks. We reached the Grand Canyon and began hiking one of the trails down the canyon. 

Everything was going well, or at least we thought. 

Looking back at this excursion down the canyon, I don’t think we thought through and processed the difficulties we could face on our journey. About halfway down the trail, my youngest brother, Garrett, slipped on gravel and was hanging off the side of the canyon. I was his buddy on the hike and so I did what any good brother would do, I let him hang there for a while and laughed at him. (That’s a joke). I immediately reached down, pulled him up and began to carry him down the trail. Later that night, after we had reached the canyon base, my dad needed to be seen by a medic because he was dehydrated. He ended up getting three IVs. I remember praying for God to deliver us from that wretchedly beautiful landmark. 

With God’s provision, we eventually were able to walk back up the canyon and live to tell the story. To this day, my mom vows never to return until her ashes are sprinkled over the South Rim. In times of trouble, I have found the Word of God provides more comfort than any other book, practice or ritual.

Refuge & Strength

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The introductory line of Psalm 46 states “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46 is divided into three sections and there is a refrain at the end of the second and third stanza which reads, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” What does it mean that “The Lord of hosts is with us?” This phrase is referring to the God that created the sun, the moon, stars, planets, and heavenly places. It refers to the God who has an army of angels to do his bidding. The “heavenly hosts” are a way of saying He is the God of power, the God of might, the God who put the stars in their place and set them ablaze. 

 Jacob who?

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Furthermore, this

Jacob does not come to mind when we think of devout men of the Bible that lived a righteous life worthy of God’s favor. Yet, the psalm is pointing out that this God of hosts is equally the God of Jacob- a very unworthy or unlikely fellow.

Therefore, this crucial line of the psalm produces meaning to the rest of this song. We can trust “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Who is this God?

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What kind of God is He? He is the God of the heavenly hosts, the God that created everything out of nothing.

What kind of God is He? He is the God of even Jacob, a man that in most situations finds himself running away from God. Jacob cheats others in the process. He wrestled with God and God wrestled with him. God chose to make Jacob weak, so He could be made strong in times of trouble. 

So what? What difference does it make?

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I can remember it like it was yesterday. My wife Amy and I were sitting on our couch in the living room on a Sunday afternoon. We were watching our oldest son who was only a few weeks old resting in his swing. We received a call from Amy’s dad like we routinely do. Amy picked up the phone and her dad just sounded different. He sounded sad and defeated by life. We asked him if everything was ok because he didn’t sound like himself and he began to tell us devastating news about Amy’s mom. Her mom was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. It was almost as if our world stopped moving. There is currently no cure for this disease. It has been a long and hard journey for our family, but “The Lord of hosts was and is with us.”

That’s you, what about me?

Or maybe you receive a call in the middle of the night. The ringing phone wakes you up, but you are still in a daze. The person on the other line informs you that someone you love dearly has just passed away. Now you are fully awake, confused, but respond something like “Thank you for letting me know.” The phone call ends, and you place the phone back on your nightstand where it sits every night while you sleep. As you begin to process this information, you realize life is going to be different. 

Life will now be filled with grief or fear. Your heart might break. You might feel alone and troubled. Perhaps in your dreariest hour, you recall what the psalmist says, “The Lord of hosts is with you, the God of Jacob is your strength and help in time of trouble.” This God is faithful to His people and to His promises. He will never leave nor forsake you.  

Be still and know.

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Now, this promise to never leave or forsake us does not take away the grief or questions we might have; however, it does remind us that we do not have to do life alone. The God who created everything has promised He will be with us just like He was with Jacob. He is our present help in trouble, we do not have to fear when our world shakes and crumbles before us. It is often in the rubble of our kingdom that we see God relinquishing His throne to rescue us and bring us into His midst. 

In the times we are broken and find ourselves speechless we can remember to “Be still and know He is God.” Whether you’re rescuing your brother that’s hanging off the side of a canyon or overwhelmed by life. We can remember,  He is the “Lord of hosts and the God of Jacob. He is our help in times of trouble.”

Prayer:

You call me to courage, Lord, but incrementally, as a child emboldened to walk along placing each small foot in larger footprints. As I am following you, you show me a path marked out step by step that leads to safety.

Scripture reading: Psalm 46 ESV