April 19 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. Genesis 35:6–7
Jacob has his problems, indeed. Jacob has all kinds of baggage, without question. But through it all, he’s growing because when he comes to Bethel the second time, he no longer calls it Bethel, “The house of God,” but El Bethel, or “The God of the house of God.” This shows monumental maturity, for Jacob understands that it’s not the house of God that is important, but the God who dwells in it. So too, it’s not church attendance that’s important, but the God whom we meet there. It’s not worship that’s important, but the God whom we worship. It’s not the Bible that’s important, but the God of the Bible. You see, the Word is not an end in itself. The goal of Bible study is not to try and gain more intellectual or theological understanding. It’s much more than that. The Word of God is simply a door I go through many times a day to meet the God of the Word. “That’s obvious,” you say. Not always. A lot of people initially delight in church or Bible study or worship, but will eventually lose interest in them because those things are not God. Be like Jacob. Keep your focus on God, and view everything else in light of Him.

This Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book "A Pillar By Day" by Pastor Jon. "A Pillar By Day" is a collection of 365 short devotions from the Old Testament books of Genesis through Deuteronomy.