On his journey to get away from his bitter brother, Jacob made an odd choice for a pillow (a stone). But the dream he had was even odder: a great stairway appeared from earth to heaven, and angels traveled on it up and down. This led Jacob to refer to the place as the “gate of heaven” (verse 28:17) and to call it Bethel, which means “house of God.” The vision gave Jacob hope and perspective, reminding him that God was with him and would be with him wherever he went.
[God said to Jacob,] “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Jacob must have felt a sense of peace and reassurance when he awoke from his unusual dream. He knew the Lord was in that place with him.
No one would suggest that people use stones for pillows, but it can be fun to collect stones with hopeful messages. Gather some flat stones (about palm size, if you can find them), and use acrylic paint, nail polish, paint markers, or other supplies to write cheerful words and phrases on the stones. You could write things like Take Courage, Have Hope, Rejoice, Trust God, God Is with You, God Loves You, and so on. Leave the stones out in the community where people can find them, or just give them to people you know who could use an encouraging reminder of the hope we have in Jesus.
God, You are my rock. I know I can always stand firm on your love. You give me hope for the future. Amen.