After returning to Bethel, Jacob dwelt or lived I the land of Canaan.  He lived there just like his father and grandfather.  I would like to talk a little bit about dwelling in the land where God has put you.

Genesis 37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

Dwelling in the Land

After returning to Bethel, Jacob dwelt or lived I the land of Canaan.  He lived there just like his father and grandfather.  I would like to talk a little bit about dwelling in the land where God has put you.  God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees to a strange land.  As Christians, we are called out of this world to another country, a city whose builder and maker is God.  Abraham, Issac and Jacob all dwelt in a land that they were a stranger in.  When you are a stranger, you may not have many friends.  You also probably don’t feel like you belong because your customs and traditions are different.  Jacob just never probably felt at home in Canaan.  The important thing was Jacob where God wanted Him to be, in the land of Canaan.

Being a Stranger as a Christian

As Christians, we are called out of this world to a heavenly world.  We should be stangers to this world. Yes we need to be a witness to the lost but we still should not be overcome of this world.  It says in this verse about Jacob’s father being a stranger but it does not say that Jacob necessarily was.  Maybe Jacob was just a little too close to the world and he did not feel like a stranger in Canaan.  In America, we have many material blessings.  If those are put ahead of God, you are probably getting to comfortable in Canaan.  You are becoming worldly and fleshly.  If you are not comfortable with this world, then you likely still feel out of place and awkward in this world, you are doing much better. As Christians we should never get too comfortable in this world.  We need to dwell among the lost and be a testimony.  We should dwell here but not live here.  Dwelling can be permanent or temporary.  You should always look at this world as temporary.

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