December 9

Day 9 | Jacob

Scripture: Genesis 28:10-22

Instead of waiting on God, Jacob had often tried to make his own way. He had done some deceptive things, but instead of saying he was sorry, Jacob ran away.

Jacob lived away from his family for many years, but now it was time to meet with his brother. He had to face up to the things he had done wrong many years before.

When Jacob ran away from his family, he may have thought that he was running away from God, too. God spoke to Jacob in a dream. God reminded Jacob of promises He had made to Jacob’s father and grandfather, and those promises were meant for Jacob, too. Jacob thought that he had run away from God, but God was always with him.

Talk About:
• How do you know that God is always with you?
• Can we run away or hide from God?

Prayer: Remind us each day, God, that You are with us.

Additional Scriptures:
John 1:51
John 14:6

Age-Focused Discussion

Preschool
• • Who were Jacob and Esau’s parents?
• How were Jacob and Esau different from each other?
• What special thing was Isaac planning to give to Esau?
• How did Jacob end up getting the blessing instead of Esau?

Elementary
• Why did Jacob have to leave home after receiving the blessing?
• What did Jacob see in his dream? What did God promise Jacob in the dream?
• Sometimes families have disagreements. What can we do to make peace with others when that happens?

Middle and High School
• Why do you think God still chose to bless Jacob, even though he had deceived his father?
• What do you think the dream showed Jacob about God’s love and forgiveness? • • • Have you ever made a mistake but still felt that someone (like a parent or God) cared about you anyway?

Gospel Conversation
Even though Jacob acted wrongly towards his father and brother, God promised to bless him, give him a family, and never leave him. God still loved him and had a plan for his life. This is what the Gospel is all about. Just like Jacob, we all make mistakes and don’t deserve God’s blessing, but God gives it to us anyway because He loves us. And like the stairway Jacob saw in his dream, when Jesus came to earth, He made a way for us to be close to God again. Jesus connects heaven and earth. He forgives our sins so that we can have a relationship with God forever.