As we enter Holy Week, the call to return to God takes on a deeper weight.

This past Sunday, we walked with Jacob in Genesis 35—a man who had drifted spiritually, stumbled morally, and watched grief fall heavy on his household. And yet, what did God say?

“Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there… make an altar to the God who appeared to you.” (v. 1)

God didn’t meet Jacob with condemnation. He met him with grace. A fresh call. A chance to come back—not just to a place, but to the presence of God.

Jacob’s response was one of repentance. He put away the idols, called his family to purity, and led them back to worship. And it’s there, at Bethel, that God reaffirmed His covenant and reminded Jacob who he really was.

But even on the road of obedience, sorrow wasn’t absent. Rachel dies. Reuben sins. Isaac passes away. Faithfulness doesn’t erase suffering. But it does anchor us in the presence and promises of God.

So here we are—in Holy Week—remembering how Christ journeyed to the cross, carrying our griefs and bearing our sin. And we ask ourselves:

• Have I wandered from the place of worship and faithfulness?
• Are there idols I need to bury this week to make space for real renewal?
• Do I need to hear again the grace-filled call of God saying, “Come home”?

Genesis 35 invites us to return. And the cross reminds us that we can.

This week, as we prepare our hearts for Resurrection Sunday, let’s walk the road of repentance and hope. Let’s come back to the place where grace first found us.

Back to Bethel. Back to the cross. Back to the God who never gave up on us.

You are loved. You are His. And He is risen.