December 5

Psalm 31:20

In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.

NLT:  You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them.  You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.

Genesis 28:11-16

When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set.  Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.  He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  There above it stood the Lord, and he said:  “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.  I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.  Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.  All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.  I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.  I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”  When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

NLT:  At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night.  Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep.  As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven.  And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.  At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac.  The ground you are lying on belongs to you.  I am giving it to you and your descendants.  Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth!  They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south.  And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.  What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go.  One day I will bring you back to this land.  I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”