Imagine the dream of all dreams. While asleep, Jacob envisions a stairway to heaven. But there's more. The Lord promises Jacob that He will be with him and extend to him the same promises He made to Abraham (Genesis 28:10–15).
It might seem odd that Jacob is afraid at this point (17a). Shouldn't really, really, really good news make us happy, not fearful? Yet fear is a common and often healthy response among people in scripture who find themselves in the presence of God because now we live lives of hope in tomorrow, not angst in today. Change like this may be wanted, but not always welcome. After all, an old habit (or a way of thinking) is comfortable, familiar. Do we really trust something new, something better?
Let your faith flourish. That means let go of any thought or pattern in your life that doesn't let you see just how good God is not now and again, but always.