It is good to be brought up in a family of Faith, but family faith can only do so much. we need to find the source of that faith for ourselves.

John 3 verse 16: Is one of the best known verse in the Bible: “for God so loved the world in this way; He gave His One and Only Son, so that Everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life”.

If we then go down to verse 18: “Anyone who believes on Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he {they} has not believed in the Name of The One and Only Son of God.

There is nothing collective there, eg like every family that believes. No it a singular belief, anyone. Faith we have been brought up in, faith we have heard about, and no matter how faithful the people are we have learned or heard it from, faith to believe is a personal decision.

We can read a story about secondhand faith in Genesis Chapter 28; A Story about Jacob: Jacob was trying to get away from his past. This is the first time he has ever left home. He headed east and walked a distance of over six hundred kilometers { less in miles}. There would be great loneliness, as he was most likely alone. Jacob would have been in danger covering such a distance by himself, most likely robbers along the way.

Jacobs life up to this point , God had not figured to prominently. Even thought he was interested in the birthright and later in his father’s blessing, and even though he had a knowledge of The Lord, it seemed to be secondhand knowledge. it had never been real to him.

Jacob had been in a position of many people who are children believers of whom the knowledge of God is simply secondhand, There has never been that moment of decisive reality in their experience.

at this point in Jacobs life there are indications, he has begun to realize that he was a mess, because of what he had done to his brother. So at the instigation of his mother, he has run away, putting distance between himself and his brother. Here is where he get himself in a place where many people find themselves. Jacob is not only far from home, but he is far from God.

But it is while he is far from God, this is where the Grace of God kicks in, that God interrupts his life. If only Jacob had the eyes to see, of course God has not been inactive or absent from his life, up to this time, but Jacob has not been aware of God’s presence. It is at this moment that God steps into his life. Jacob comes to a special place called Bethal.

We all need to find that special place where, Our Lord and Our Friend becomes real to us, and we are not just believing because of some secondhand faith, The Story of Jacob is a wonderful story, and there is much more to take from it, but we will leave it there, with the thought God wants us to find Him for ourselves.

God Bless.

O F J.