I don’t know about you, but I have been having a lot more dreams than usual lately! Dreams can reveal a lot about our inner state, psychologically and spiritually. So it is no surprise that dreams have significance in the Biblical tradition shared between Jews and Christians. Dreams are also referred to as “visions,” “revelations,” and “prophecies” and they are found throughout the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. They point us to God and draw us closer to God, often conveying messages of Divine Mercy or Justice for the people.

Today’s devotional reading comes from the book of Genesis. This story is often referred to as “Jacob’s Ladder” but we can also think of it as God’s ladder, being extended to all of us from heaven, inviting us to participate in the spiritual journey towards wholeness and holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit. The angels of God are spiritual beings or forces which help move us along this journey, perhaps even through other people. The word angel means messenger. How can we be messengers of God to one another as we walk together in faith?

Genesis 28:10-19a

28:10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.

28:11 He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place.

28:12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

28:13 And the LORD stood beside him and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring;

28:14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring.

28:15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

28:16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place–and I did not know it!”

28:17 And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

28:18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

28:19a He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.