Ladder of Grace
Today’s Verse:
Genesis 28:12 ESV
And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder[a] set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!
This week, during our Lenten Midweek church services, we are looking at the Gospel message from the story of Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28. Jacob was on the run, fleeing from his brother Esau after deceiving their father. Alone in the wilderness, he had nothing—no home, no security, and no certainty about his future. And yet, in this place of fear and exile, God revealed His grace.
Jacob’s vision of the ladder was not just a dream but a promise. God was not distant, nor had He abandoned Jacob. The ladder, reaching heaven to earth, symbolized God’s connection with His people. The angels ascending and descending testified to His active presence and work.
Jesus later revealed the greater fulfillment of this vision: He is the true ladder (John 1:51). In Christ, heaven comes down to us. By His cross and resurrection, He bridges the gap our sin created. We do not climb up to God by our strength—God reaches down to us.
Like Jacob, we often find ourselves in places of uncertainty, regret, or fear. But the message of the ladder remains the same: God is with us. He has come to us in Christ, and we are never alone through Him.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Thank You for meeting us in our weakness, just as You did with Jacob. Help us trust in Christ, our true ladder, who brings us into fellowship with You. Keep our hearts fixed on Your promises, knowing You are always near. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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