- Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
Once there was a boy named Jacob who loved adventures, even though he wasn’t the biggest or strongest. He had a twin brother named Esau, who was hairy and loved hunting, but Jacob liked staying near home with his mom, Rebekah. One day, Jacob tricked Esau into giving him something special—a promise that Jacob would be the leader of the family. Esau was so mad that Jacob had to run away!
While Jacob was on his big adventure, he stopped to sleep under the stars. He used a rock for a pillow—ouch! That night, he had an amazing dream. He saw a big ladder reaching up to the sky, with angels climbing up and down. God spoke to him and said, “Jacob, I’m with you! Your family will grow as big as the stars, and I’ll give you a special land.” Jacob woke up and said, “Wow, God is here!” He called that place Bethel, which means “God’s house.”
Later, Jacob met a girl named Rachel by a well, and he fell in love. He worked for her dad, Laban, for a long time—seven years!—to marry her. But Laban tricked Jacob and gave him Rachel’s sister, Leah, instead. Jacob had to work seven more years to marry Rachel, too! Even though it was hard, Jacob kept going because he trusted God.
Jacob ended up with a big family—12 sons who would become the leaders of 12 tribes! One night, he met a mysterious man and wrestled with him until the sun came up. The man said, “You’re strong, Jacob! From now on, your name is Israel, because you never gave up.” God blessed Jacob, and his family moved to a land called Canaan, where they grew into a big, special group called the people of Israel.
Jacob’s life was full of surprises—tricks, dreams, and wrestling—but God was with him the whole time, turning him into the dad of a big family that God loved!
**Genesis 28:12-15** – “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… I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go…’”
– “God is with me wherever I go!” (Inspired by Genesis 28:15)
Jacob started as a tricky kid who ran away, but God had a big plan for him. His dream showed that God was close, and his new name, Israel, meant he was strong with God’s help. His 12 sons became the 12 tribes, showing kids that God keeps His promises, even when life gets tough!
