Page 10 - November 2025 - Truth & Tidings

efore Jacob left Bethel, he made a but because of God’s grace.
vow unto the Lord in response to We have been saved by grace (Eph 2:8-
Ball that God had done for him and 9). Paul wrote to Titus, “Not by works of
His promise to be with him and keep him. righteousness which we have done, but
It was a look backward in gratitude for according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus
God’s preserving care and a look forward 3:5). We are saved by grace and we are
in confident assurance of the Lord’s pres- kept and sustained by grace along life’s
ence with him until he returned to his pilgrim pathway (2Co 9:8; 12:9).
father’s house. Jacob’s patience under Laban's hard-
Samuel acknowledged the Lord’s help hearted wrongs testifies that he had sub-
in the past, setting up a stone and calling mitted to God. All of God’s dealings with
it Ebenezer, and said, “Hitherto hath the him were intended to reveal His eternal,
Lord helped us.” We, too, as believers, can unchangeable character. As children of
look back over the past and recognize the God, we may experience difficulties and
Lord’s hand in preserving and keeping us trials, but in all our circumstances, God is
up until this very moment. ever present, revealing His eternal char-
We have the confident assurance that He acter and His divine purposes for our life.
will be with us and keep us until He brings The Lord promised His continued pres-
us to the Father’s house. The apostle Paul ence with Jacob, saying, “Return unto the
wrote to Timothy of his confidence in the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred;
Lord’s keeping power until he reached and I will be with thee” (Gen 31:3). Jacob
heaven and home: “And the Lord shall took his family and his possessions and
deliver me from every evil work, and will left Laban. When Laban caught up with
preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: Jacob, he was angry with him, because
to whom be glory for ever and ever” (2Ti he had learned by experience that God
4:18). had blessed him for Jacob’s sake (30:27).
1
Jacob served Laban fourteen years for They made a covenant together not to do
his two daughters, Leah and Rachel (Gen harm to one another. Jacob made a heap
29:1-27). Even though Laban deceived of stones and set them for a pillar, calling
Jacob and changed his wages ten times it Galeed and Mizpah, meaning “witness”
(31:7,41), Jacob experienced the blessing of and “watchtower.”
God, not because of his own righteousness To Jacob, the pillar was a testimony to
the faithfulness of God’s unchanging and
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the unfailing promises. Jacob was learning
KJV. something of the faithfulness of God’s

330 TRUTH kTidings November 2025