Years ago, when I was an assistant pastor in Virginia, our lead pastor preached a powerful sermon titled “A Bend in the Road.” In the message, he wisely taught that everyone is either about to go into a storm, in a storm, or just coming out a storm, so we’d best be ready for the next “bend in the road.”  Fifteen years have gone by, and I still think about that sermon.

As a lead pastor now, I often get to see the hard side of life. Even in a medium-sized church like Bethany, crisis and tragedy alway seem to be lurking around the corner. Over the years, it’s been my privilege to walk through the storm with many people. And amid difficulties, the inevitable question arises: “Where is God in this?”.  It’s a valid question and not easy to answer, especially when everything around you is crashing down.

In Genesis 28, Jacob found himself in a storm of his own making.  He’d just tricked his brother out of his rightful blessing and Esau had sworn vengeance. The family was in an uproar and Jacob was fleeing for his life, hoping to find refuge with his uncle in Haran, 500 miles away.

I wonder what Jacob was thinking as he hastily packed his bag and left town.

“I’m walking away from everything that is dear to me. I’m losing it all.”

“I can’t believe I’m leaving.  I wonder if I’ll ever see my parents again.”

“I’m on my own now and it’s all my fault… no good can come from this.”

But unexpectedly, God interrupted Jacob’s journey.  Three days into his travels, he settled down for the night and God showed up.

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. ¹¹ When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³ There above it stood the Lord…. Genesis 28:10-13

And in that dream, God confirmed his ancient promise to Abraham, that his descendants would inherit the land, become a great nation, and bless the whole world through the coming of Jesus.

Upon awakening, Jacob declared, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it. And he named the place Beth’el, the house of God.” (vs. 16)

Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.  That’s profound.

When life takes a sharp turn, as it inevitably will, we sometimes find ourselves in hard, terrible, and terrifying places. And in those times, when the road is rocky and the path is not of our own choosing, it’s often almost impossible to sense God’s presence. A dense fog settles in and our heart cries out, “What’s going on?” “Why am I here?” and “Where are you God?”. In those moments, by faith recognizing, “surely the Lord is in this place, I am just not aware of it”, can be a source of comfort and strength.

Recently a dear brother at the church passed away in the emergency room of a local hospital, having suffered a fatal coronary event. It was shocking and tragic; he was 56 years old.  His wife Lisa summoned me to the hospital with the ominous words, “Pastor Steve, please come up, he’s not going to make it.”

As I entered the private waiting room where Lisa sat, I must confess, it was difficult to “feel” the presence of God.  We were both in shock at the sudden, unexplainable turn of events.  I felt grieved and stunned.  I can’t begin to imagine what Lisa was experiencing. But as we sat there, she said, “I know he’s not there, but I’d like to go to him, and maybe you can say a few words and pray.”  It was a beautiful and personal way of saying, “I may not understand, I can’t see God right now and this is completely overwhelming, but as best I can, I’m going to by faith believe that ‘The Lord is in this place, I am just not aware of it.’”  So, as we read Psalm 23 together and prayed, it was a declaration of Beth’el… that God was in the house and the Good Shepherd was there even as we were walked through the valley of the shadow of death.

In what situation or place do you need to declare “Beth’el, the Lord is in this place even if I am not aware of it.”?

Your own personal anxiety?  Beth’el… the Lord is in this place

A debilitating illness? Beth’el… the Lord is in this place

A broken marriage? Beth’el… the Lord is in this place

An uncertain future? Beth’el… the Lord is in this place

As we experience our own seasons of trial, our perception of God’s presence may fluctuate, but the reality of his presence does not change.  Nothing can separate us from God’s love.  If God walks with us through good times, he’ll be there for the bad. Never doubt in the dark what you knew to be true in the light. God is with you. He’ll be at your next bend in the road.