HARD PLACE OR HOLY PLACE

As I think back on the last twelve months many negative thoughts and feelings come to mind. Though our family has personally been blessed with a grandchild (the second one on the 11th) and so many other blessings, but many others have lost family members, jobs, and had health and financial challenges. It reminds me what Pastor Tony Evans shared at the Gateway Conference 2020--How to turn a hard place to a holy place.

Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it.

Gen 28:18

It was getting dark. Jacob found a stone to lay his head on and sleep. That night God visited him accompanied by a multitude of angels. These heavenly creatures were ascending and descending as God stood above them. When we are in a dark or hard place it can become a holy place. It can be a place where we encounter God.

This last weekend I was finalizing the last session for the Levante-se online conference for Brazilian leaders. Saturday I was surprised and overwhelmed with sudden technical difficulties. It wouldn’t stop and continued to get worse. My spirit became deeply disturbed because we were going to go live in a few hours! I was becoming very anxious and angry. I decided to leave the problem and focus on exalting God, though in the natural I didn't have the luxury of time. After a short while praying and focusing on the Lord, my spirit was refreshed and the problem resolved itself.

Things change when worship occurs. Pastor Evans said, "Worship is where the oil is. Don’t hold on to the problem hold on to the promise. God can’t bless what you keep."

"Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it." Gen 28:18

When Jacob awoke, he placed the stone upright like a pillar and poured oil on it to consecrated it. We can turn our "hard place" pillows into pillars. A pillar holds things up and can take stress. You can handle much more stress when your hard places are covered with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

Let your problem become a pillar through worship.

Jacob "called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.” Gen 28:19 The place was called Luz—houses of Canaanite heathens--now is called Bethel—the house of God. Turn your problem into praise. Change your words. Praise God. Speak in faith. Jacob went from Luz to Bethel and never changed location.

Do you want to find hope in a hard place? Magnify God in worship. Make God bigger than your hard place. Pastor Tony said, "God doesn’t move He manifests." God is always everywhere. He is with you in the problem but when you rest in Him; lay your head on Jesus, the Rock of your salvation, God can manifest in your situation.

This week let’s turn our hard moments into holy moments by through worship in the Holy Spirit.