It’s a popular pillow nowadays with a ten-year warranty on workmanship or material defects—a far cry from Jacob’s pillow of stone, as described in Genesis 28.
As the story goes, Jacob was setting up camp in Luz, en route to Haran. He found a stone and placed it under his head for a pillow.
Let’s stop for a minute and think about that. Of all the materials to choose for a headrest, a stone would be the last thing I’d use. What about grass, moss, straw, or even sand? The first thing I’d probably use would be an article of clothing like a scarf or head wrap for a pillow, wouldn’t you? The scripture says Jacob was camping in the hill country of Luz, so maybe soft vegetation was sparse, and perhaps it was too cold to shed clothing. We’ve established he was not using anything remotely like Mike Lindell’s My Pillow.
The Lord visited him in a dream as Jacob slept on the stone. Angels ascended and descended on a ladder to heaven. The Lord stood at the top of the ladder and pronounced a blessing on Jacob regarding his land and descendants. It ended with this promise, "What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15 NLT).
Jacob woke up and was immediately aware of the Presence of the Lord and what an awesome place his little campsite was—indeed, he declared, "It is none other than the house of God; the very gateway to heaven!” (Genesis 28:17 NLT). The next morning, he set his stone pillow upright, made an altar to the Lord, and named the area Bethel, which means House of God. He took what he had at hand--a stone--and honored God with it.
It makes no difference where we lay our heads at night; God promises to be with us, sometimes in remarkable, supernatural ways. Jacob admitted, when he woke up after his dream, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!" Sometimes we are unaware of God’s Presence in our room, car, or wherever we may be. But just as the air is all around us though we cannot see it, the Lord is always with us.
Here’s the truth from Psalm 139:7-10 (NLT): "I can never escape from Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your Presence! If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I go down to the grave, You are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me."
Friend, the Lord is there whether you lay your head on a stone or a Mike Lindell My Pillow tonight. He may even visit you in your dreams! It happens.
© 2023, Chris Werre
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