Maybe you’ve noticed a change. God does that. He moves things, mostly by moving people. He’s been moving among the staff at Sunnyvale Church in a big way. Something new is on the horizon for us, and this blog is one small piece of it. He’s given us a vision, part of that is creating a more dynamic online presence. A place for you to stay connected to your church, but more importantly a place where you can stay connected to Him.
We’re dreaming of getting our recorded sermons back online, live streaming, and this blog. It’s not just words on a page. It’s a place carved out for you, a refuge from your busy life, a reminder that God sees, knows, and is with you. It’s a place where you can sneak away and share a moment with Him. It’s a pep-talk on a rough day, a challenge that inspires you to grow, a hug from your closest Friend.
That’s the dream of what this blog can be. Like all dreams, it’s both exciting and intimidating. It’s especially intimidating when you’ve tried before and seen it fade away. Some of you reading this will remember the devotionals I used to write. They were attached to our Fishwrap electronic newsletter and posted on Facebook. Often, I felt like I was throwing my thoughts out into a great void, wondering if it was worth the writing, wondering if God was really calling me to do this. But the dream has never let me go. Do you know the feeling? Have you started something for God full of faith and watched it slip away? In the quiet moments of your life, when you’re lying awake and the world’s still asleep, does that dream still call to you? Well, we’re not alone.
When Jacob left home and traveled to Harran to find a wife, God gave him a dream. It was a dream full of meaning, probably more than he could understand. He was promised descendants beyond counting, and saw a stairway to heaven. He was told that all the people of the earth would be blessed through him, and that God would watch over him. Jacob called that place Bethel, house of God (Gen. 28:10-17). I wonder how often he might have questioned that dream as he served in Harran, being cheated, having his wages changed ten times, watching his in-laws grow jealous and suspicious of him (Gen. 31:1-7). What did Jacob think of the dream as he sent presents to his brother Easu, hoping to assuage the anger and keep his twin from fulfilling the threat of murdering him (Gen. 27:41 & 32:3-8)? I imagine at that moment, the dream was far more intimidating than exciting. But he didn’t let go!
Instead, Jacob wrestled with God. He held on to the promises and gave us this great example of praying “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gen. 32:26). Because of this, he was no longer called Jacob, “the supplanter”, the one who had once cheated his brother out of his blessing (Gen. 27). His name was changed to Israel, “he will rule as God” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Hebrew #3478).
Let’s be encouraged together by this story, because our God has changed our names too. We are all part of Israel. As we wrestle with humans and God, never letting go of our faith in the dreams and promises He has given us, He will bless us! He has made us kings and priests together with Him (Rev. 1:6) and He will complete all He has begun in us (Phil. 1:6).
Pray for the staff as we press on with His dreams at our Bethel, house of God, in Sunnyvale. And know that we’re praying for you to catch His dreams, keep His dreams, and prevail in the dreams that He has for you!
Blessings,
Pastor Sandi
