In Padan-aram, God did not give a promise to Jacob (31:3). Why did God not give him a promise there? It certainly was not because God changes, for God never changes. No promise was given to Jacob in Padan-aram because that was not the proper place. In Padan-aram, Jacob was not in the right position to receive God's promise. If we would receive God's promise, we must be in the proper place. I say strongly that many things can only be received in the church life. Outside of the church life, you do not have the position to receive these things.
Eventually, Jacob left Padan-aram and journeyed to Succoth, which means "booths" (33:17). In Succoth, which was on the border of the good land, Jacob built a house for himself and booths for his cattle, but he did not erect an altar for God. Later, Jacob traveled from Succoth to Shechem. We have seen that in Shechem he built an altar. But this altar was built at the place of his own satisfaction, not at the place of God's satisfaction. Thus, God changed Jacob's circumstances that he might be stirred up and receive the charge to arise and go up to Bethel. Neither in Succoth nor in Shechem did Jacob receive God's promise.
Only in Bethel did God give His promise to Jacob (35:11-12). The promise in chapter thirty-five is more solid than the promise given to Jacob in the dream (28:13-14). Before we came to the church life, we never had a solid promise given to us by God. The most solid promises are always given in the church life. Our experience after coming into the church life is that nearly every day is a day of promise. This means that every day is full of expectations. Outside the church, we had no hope. Did you have hope before coming into the church life? No, we only had disappointment and discouragement. But now, in the church life, everything is so definite and meaningful. Morning, noon, and night we have hope. All these hopes are the promises we are receiving day after day.
All the promises given by God and received by us in the church life are for God's building. They are not for our little cottage or hut. In the past, some of us desired to build a little cottage of holiness, and some of the sisters expected to build the little hut of a good married life. Many wives who have not found married life enjoyable have sought to find a happy married life in Christianity. Even after coming into the church life, many sisters still have deep within them the hope of finding in the church the happy married life they have been seeking. Their intention is not for the building up of the house of God; it is to build the little hut of their married life. But the experience of many of us is this: when we were endeavoring to build a little hut for ourselves, God blew upon it. In my experience years ago, God firstly blew away the roof and then the walls. After that, my hut was gone. But do not think that all the church people are miserable because the hut of their married life has been demolished. We have a much better married life, not in our little hut, but in the house of God. Today, in the church life, I can testify and boast to the enemy concerning the wonderful married life I have in the church. If you did not have the church life, what a miserable married life you would have! When we tried to build a little hut for ourselves, we were unsuccessful. But when we brought our married life into the church, we found ourselves in a mansion. Praise the Lord that we are here for the house of God!
Before I came into the church life, I also attempted to build a little house of patience. As many of you know, I am a quick person. It takes a great deal of energy for a fast person to be patient. I even hate to get a busy signal when I dial the telephone. Realizing as a young man that I lacked patience, I attempted to build a little house of patience. I also did my best to build houses of holiness and victory. I wanted very much to be victorious over my temper. A fast person is impatient, and impatience causes us to lose our temper. I was quite aware that I was impatient, unholy, and defeated. Although I tried to build houses of patience, holiness, and victory, I was not successful in building even one of them. When I came into the church life, I did not immediately forget these houses. Rather, I still attempted to build them. But one day I saw that it was foolish to build these small houses, for I already had one large house—the church life. As long as we are in the church life, patience, holiness, and victory are ours.
Let me share with you something I have experienced many times. When I was on the verge of losing my temper, I thought about the church, and immediately my temper disappeared. Perhaps I said to myself, "I am about to lose my temper with the elders." But, by the Lord's mercy, I thought about the church, and my temper vanished. There is not always the need to even experience the church life. Even a thought about the church life can quell our temper. You may say, "Brother Lee, this is superstitious. How can a little thought about the church life take away your temper?" I cannot explain this, but I know that I have experienced that even a thought about the church can make you victorious. If you actually live in the church life, what holiness and victory you will have! When you get into the New Jerusalem, will you still be seeking holiness, humility, and patience? No, when you get into the New Jerusalem, all this vocabulary will be terminated. There will be no patience, just God Himself as the all-sufficient God. In the church life we have a miniature of the New Jerusalem today. No other Christians experience holiness as much as we do. We are not building our cottages and huts. We are only for the unique building—the house of God. This house is a mutual habitation. Both we and God abide here. Praise the Lord that we are now in the church life experiencing God in a corporate way!