The Runaway’s Hope in a God-Made Ladder
Jacob, he followed the guileful advice of someone he trusted.
He knew better
but having practiced his own kind of trickery
Further goading into unscrupulous actions did not require much stretch
And so he deceived, betrayed, cheated those he belonged to
In the family circle
When the seeds of his actions grew too tall
He ran
Again on the advice of someone he trusted
Someone who should never have counseled
Such chicanery
He ran
Into the desert
Because he couldn’t see how to fix the problems on his own
He couldn’t fathom forgiveness
Because cheaters are sometimes the least forgiving
In the darkness of his run
God showed him a ladder
A ladder to Him
Climbing to forgiveness
to restoration
to relationship
This ladder that climbed both ways
built by a Father who loved so much
He was willing to climb down from
His Kingdom throne
to save a runaway
But still the runaway, he ran,
ran into the camp of a fellow deceiver
Where he learned deception, betrayal, cheating
Hurts
Muddies dreams
Creates problems in the victim’s life, too
Understanding dawning,
he approached the ladder of the dessert
The ladder to Him
To forgiveness
To restoration
That climbed both ways
Facing the ladder, he reached hands newly calloused
With honesty, honor, hope
to grabbed hold of the first rung,
planted a foot to climb
upward
He packed for home
On his way, God met him
Wrestled with him
And God found him finally strong enough
to overcome the past,
This man determined to be good
The selfish man who had run
Who couldn’t see beyond his wants
His chicanery
His coveting ways that led him to take
What was not his
He returned home
To take responsibility for his actions
To repent to those he cheated, tricked, betrayed
He returned home to be embraced
Forgiven
His account wiped clean
To relationship righted
All because of the ladder to Him
To forgiveness
To restoration
That climbed both ways
“If God stands by me and protects me
on this journey on which I’m setting out,
keeps me in food and clothing,
and brings me back in one piece to my father’s house,
this God will be my God.”
~ Genesis 28:20
I bet Jacob wanted to return sooner, make things right sooner. He didn’t because he probably didn’t really believe that forgiveness was for him. He knew his track record. He knew what he had done.
Until one day, he finally realized that he trusted God enough to go home. Trusted that the ladder of restoration, of forgiveness God built was true. It was so unbelievable – unbelievable but true.
The run-away returned home in a faith-is-the-substance-of-things-hope-for-the-evidence-of-things-not-seen way to the see first-hand the proof that God builds miraculous ladders that climb both ways.
He learned that like God climbing down that ladder to us first, sometimes we have to climb those ladders to others, first. To say I’m sorry. To say, “Can I come home?” To say, “I want a relationship with you, like we were meant to have.” To say, “The past is nothing. It is now that counts – from today forward.” To say, “I am willing to pay the price I owe for the wrong I have committed.”
Because of that ladder that climbs both ways, God’s plan for each life can be fulfilled – beautifully, wholly, completely.
To the run-away – grab hold of the ladder’s rung – grab hold and pull yourself home. The Father, the great Yahweh, will come down and help you.
Like Jacob, you will be met, welcomed, embraced, forgiven, your hope renewed.
If you’ve ever had a child run, whether it is from your room, from your home for a day, 3 days, 21 days, weeks for months, the story of Jacob is a story you grab onto as evidence of the Hope and Faith we have in the Father. This story of loss, redemption and restoration tells us God was prepared for run-aways. He pursues them. He built a ladder for them.
The coming home – it is not about the parent heart finding peace – it is all about the runaway being safe, found. Not just relationship restored – because sometimes that is a journey. There is the physical coming home – but the desire for the emotional and spiritual coming home, the desire for whole choices and not brokenness. It is what the parent hopes for through faith.
We’ve been praying for Annie to be found this last week. She ran away. She hasn’t been found yet.
It made me remember another run-away – who packed up 2 backpacks full of possession, stealthily left, walked through fields, under fences, ripping and tearing at his bags and his clothes – to a friend who picked him up on the other side of a forest he didn’t know, filled with coyotes, snakes and other unseen things. He came face to face with truth in the darkness of the forest.
Our hearts grieved that we would have a child who would run away. He was given a choice – a choice to be respectful or leave. He left.
It was only hours – but those were awful hours. Hours filled with grief that someone we loved so completely, worked so hard to fill with good things and God things – would run away.
It happened 3 times. He was dealing with inside things, authority things. Each run-away has inside things they battle. The return home doesn’t mean the run-away’s battles are over, that inside brokenness, either by things others have done or things they themselves have done, isn’t instantly made whole. There’s a journey to a run-away’s wholeness, even to our wholeness.
Jacob’s run-away story shows us that.
Our run-away with 2 back-packs filled with possessions? He’s on that journey to wholeness. He’s now making good man choices. He’s got a hand on that ladder, a foot raised to climb up. He’s wrestling with God – but that means he’s got his hands on God and God has his hands on him.
Jacob’s run-away journey didn’t stop when he reached family, Laban. His run-away journey didn’t end with the hand grasping the ladder. The run-away journey ended when he stopped wrestling with God, even though he was on his way home. When he stopped wrestling with God, he trusted God – trusted God to help him overcome his past.
I really enjoyed this post – God’s ladder working both ways. I think we all have “inside things” we are working on. I’m so grateful for God’s grace and mercy!!
Lovely words written; even when we run from God, He runs behind us and never gives up on us; he welcomes us back with loving arms open wide and can bring us through any circumstance!
I will be praying for Annie…
Blessings and hugs,
Denise
I love the flow of this post! It words and message are perfect for this week.
Really touching post…thanks for the words and wisdom …
I am terrified of raising teenagers (this is the 2nd post that has led me to this conclusion today!), but I love how you write — God’s children run away, too, and it’s not because He hasn’t given us everything He has. I am so afraid of screwing up my children, but it goes to show, some kids just have things they need to work out. Hopefully they will know that forgiveness always lives here.
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment.
I will be praying for sweet Annie and her parents. I’m asking God to help her find her way home so she can work on the inside things among the people who love her most dearly.
There are seasons when all we can do is hold on tight to God’s mercy. I’m in that season now praying for my husband and my marriage.
grace and peace to you,
~a
I love that even when we run…God pursues us! He will welcome us home with open arms when we turn back to Him! Blessings, Joan
Ah… this is beautifully written and gracefully shared… I remember these days well… when I was the one who ran away.
I have got a teenager, soon to be a legal adult… and I have a 2 year old, with 2 other children in between…
I try to remember what it is like to be a child… so that I will remember what it is they go through in their young minds and hearts…
Praying for grace and for God’s love to work it’s way into the wayward heart… Even this I pray for my own..
Blessings to you…
I love how this holds three stories in one (well, actually MANY stories) and shows the different points in the journey. Thanks, Amy
I gained a lot of insight of your description and thoughts on the ladder. God many times shows us our ladder before we are strong enough to climb it! I like how you said that sometimes we need to “climb” that ladder for others first — gives us strength to climb it for God.
Even with all that practice, all he had to endure with his father-in-law, he still struggled with God. I love how you made a parallel from Jacob’s story to children who run away from home. It is a difficult lesson to learn that parents are God’s appointed authorities over their children’s lives. When children disobey their parents, it’s as if they are disobeying God.
Thank you for such a beautiful, thought-provoking post, my dear friend!
Wow, these stories of runaways make me consider my own runaway heart — my running away from God . . . and the beautiful, amazing hope in the reminder of the Father walking down that ladder, to us, to me. Thank you. Bless you.
oh, that my hands will find themselves clasped tightly on that ladder, friend. Such a lovely and vivid image.
Nice how you weaved these present stories of runaways to the truth of the story of Jacob. I never thought about this story in that context, you opened some perspective for me. Praying that Annie is found and so thankful your own is back on the path.
Great post.
Thank you for both blogs on Annie, for the support, encouragement, and perspective. These were the words and messages I needed to consider today. (Annie’s sister)
I love the vision of a God made ladder…sometimes we are in a dark hole…but there is always a ladder leading us to Him. blessings~
In many ways, we’re all on a journey to wholeness in various ways, finding our way and running back to the only one who can show us who we are, and make us whole.
OH, how I am praying for Annie. Jacob’s story always gives me hope. So many wrong turns. Bless him. This is a beautiful telling, a wonderful application. Praying for the runaways to return.
Praying for Annie’s return and for all runaways to return and find His love reaching out to them…what an encouraging story about your son and God reaching out first to Jacob and to us…Blessings, and Happy Easter, early 🙂
a ladder that climbs both ways… i love this.
“He couldn’t see how to fix the problems on his own” – yet I continue to try. Thanks for this great picture and reminder.
As an adult, I ran…I ran from God. And I am thankful that He welcomed this prodigal daughter home with open arms.
Praying for Annie’s safe return.
That’s the best kind of ladder to put your feet on. Sure beats the corporate ladder and all other kinds that we try to dream up, here on Planet Earth!
Happy Easter, friend.
Thank you so much for linking up, dear Mary Leigh. Thank You, Lord, for always welcoming home we prodigals.
Hey ML! I am still praying fo rAnnie. I was so hoping that she had returned home. I loved your post. I cherish the vision of the ladder and also of God and Jacob wrestling, not because Jacob was “having to fight for what he wanted”, but because he shows us that being persistent is necessary if we want God’s blessings sometimes. It shows Him how much faith we have in Him.
She still hasn’t been found. Your prayers are so needed!
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