Continuing the story from yesterday, Jacob wrestled with an angel. That night he began praying because he wasn’t sure of what will happen when he met his brother Esau. As he cried out to God for strength and deliverance, he ended up wrestling with God himself. The more he prayed the more the presence of God was so real that he wrestled with all that was in Him. Jacob refused to let go until he received his blessings.
The angel could have overpowered him but he did not. He allowed Jacob to hang on because he saw that his faith was growing as he wrestled in prayer. As Jacob clung desperately, the angel touched his hip as a reminder of the encounter forever. Even with a dislocated hip, he didn’t let go pleading for His blessing.
It is significant that they wrestled until daybreak. The darkness symbolises Jacob’s situation and ours today. It was a long struggle. When Jacob understood it was not an ordinary struggle he pleaded “I will not let You go unless You bless me”. At this point they were not wrestling anymore, Jacob was just holding on. He now understood that you do not get anywhere with God by struggling and resisting, but by yielding and just holding on.
When you are willing to hold on, God is always ready to help you. The Lord desires that we persist in prayer and align ourselves with His will. The Angel gave him a new name. “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel”. Jacob would no longer be called the supplanter (he who grasps), but the prevailer because he struggled with God, to gain the blessing, and with men (Esau & Laban), and overcame. New names have a significance. For Jacob it was possession. This new name would always be a reminder of his new destiny, and the new limp a reminder to live in the fear of the lord. Jacob received his blessing, this time it wasn’t obtained by deceit and treachery but rightfully.
Take a few moments to thin about these questions:
How long does God have to wrestle with you before you yield all aspects of your life to Him? What does He have to dislocate in your life before you come to the end of yourself?
No comments:
Post a Comment