Genesis 35:1-21 KJV
1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.
7 And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.
9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.
10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.
11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.
15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.
16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.
18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

Our journey of faith comes with it own price. Jacob journey took him on a journey in a strange land. A journey of change would come to his life when he fled from his brother to land if his mother's people who worshipped strange gods. His journey did not change his own wife heart or those that surrounded him but out of obedience to Jacob's leadership they got rid of their idols as they went with him on his return trip to the promise land. They were told to change their garments that they were going to serve the God that brought him back to the place he had first spoke to him. Not by the will or choice of their own. A declaration that him and his household, which included his servants would serve the Lord. Despite obedience he would loose the very wife he worked fourteen years for in child birth. He had just honor God in his journey.

The journey of faith for each person is different. The journey for each Christian whether in times of persecution or times of peace and safety. Saul(name was changed to Paul) received Christ knowing the cost and price he would and might pay by following Jesus because he stood on the side of the persecuter as he watch Stephen's being stone to death. The cost of declaring faith did come with a rose garden which included thorns that beat and bruised his own body.

When our decision of faith brings thorns we must ask what time are we living in. Our choice to follow God and his Son is going to bear a price of maybe our own soul. No one joins the military or fire department thinking they might die. No one drives a car with the thought of death on their mind. It more lets go we got a job to do and places to see. The thought of a love one dying while performing the job never cross one's mind til they jump ship to join in faith with God like Peter walking on water like Jesus did until the first wave of water smacks one off their feet. In scripture by the Spirit one learns to walk by faith.Like Peter we learn can learn not to look at those waves but to look at Jesus who will keep our feet from slipping.

Jacob found that over the years waiting to return to the land of promise his Father's God had been with him. He discovered his God would be with him no matter where he went in life and also make his life prosperous. Jacob was on the other side of Christ coming that he learned these things. He did not face persecution. Our own declaration is important. When we receive Jesus as Savior and Lord are we declaring God is Lord. All that happened in Jacob's life after his declaration could of happened without faith. Why is this important his wife in child birth a part of reality of what can and may happen giving birth. Paul conversion came with knowledge that he could die because of the early church's own history of persecution. What does this mean in our world we living in? We can find our faith in Christ saves us but does not mean we are walking through a flower bed without thorns only that God will be there to take us through it. Jacob no doubt he mourn loosing his precious wife, he got up and continued in his journey.

Why does decision making sometimes bring hardship to the believer can be a teaching point in faith. Paul first beating, and first escape only testifies who child he was. Jacob no doubt understood it was his wife time to go and he continued on to the promiseland that was originly was his grandfather Abraham's land.

Dear Heavenly Father guide our steps when we make a decision to walk in faith in you. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Genesis 28:18-22 KJV
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Acts 8:1-4 KJV
1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.