Burying our Idols

Just as I have every year for at least the past 20 years, I made a new years resolution to read through the entire bible in a year. Back in the day we didn't have all the cool plans you can now find online, I simply opened my bible and started reading, until I got somewhere around Leviticus. Usually about this time, maybe mid Feb, I gave up completely on the plan.

I am in the book of Genesis now (again), and as I was reading through Genesis 35 something jumped out at me. Isn't it cool how you can read the same scripture for over 20 years and have new revelation with each passing year?

God had been instructing Jacob to go back to Bethel. Jacob instructed his people to bury their idols under an oak tree, and put clean clothes on.
In preceding chapters we hear of Jacob wrestling with God, remaining under the rule of His Father in Law, seemingly receiving many natural blessings,a very rich in the worlds eyes, yet it was not the plan God had for him, it was a place of deception, broken promises, and lies.

4 -5 They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem. Then they set out. A paralyzing fear descended on all the surrounding villages so that they were unable to pursue the sons of Jacob.

It wasn't until He came to that place or the surrendering of his will, burying those idols and putting on a fresh new garment that God moved him into that place of fulfilling his destiny, giving him a new name Israel.

I am The Strong God.
Have children! Flourish!
A nation—a whole company of nations!—
will come from you.
Kings will come from your loins;
the land I gave Abraham and Isaac
I now give to you,
and pass it on to your descendants.

Are we willing to lay down our own idols? Bury them? (sometimes hourly) We know what they are. Those things that take up space in our hearts intended for our Father. Are we willing to put on a clean garment? Start fresh and new for Gods perfect plan for our lives?

Or do we choose to hold tight to our idols, continue to wear our dirty garments and walk in a place that satisfies our flesh, a place of familiarity.

16 -17 They left Bethel. They were still quite a ways from Ephrath when Rachel went into labor—hard, hard labor. When her labor pains were at their worst, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid—you have another boy."

Wow, have you felt the labor pains lately? I sure have! But out of the pain was birthed a son, Benjamin ,meaning (pain of good fortune) God is faithful! He is birthing something new in this hour, there will be sacrifices we must make along the way (Rachael died while giving birth) But on the other side comes the blessing! So everybody breath....and PUSH (closer to HIM) when those labor pains start back up again.
Blessings <3