Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that He could not defeat him, He struck Jacob’s hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip. Then He said to Jacob, “Let Me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied. “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” He said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked Him, “Please tell me Your name.” But He answered, “Why do you ask My name?” And He blessed him there. Jacob then named the place Peniel, “For I have seen God face to face,” he said, “and I have been delivered.” Genesis 32: 24 -31
My words…
Praise
I find this story of You as a wrestler very captivating. Not because I am a wrestling fan – I’m not. It intrigues me to know that You would confront a man in such a personal, hands-on way, using not a supernatural strength, but a strength equal to that of Jacob’s – a man’s strength in a man’s body. You didn’t need to wrestle with Jacob. Jacob needed to wrestle with You. He stood on the bank of the Jabbok, knowing he was to come face-to-face with his brother the following morning. Jacob was a cheater; he didn’t play fair with Esau, and Esau had every right to hate his twin. Jacob must have been pacing the river bank, anxious about how his reunion with his brother would play out. Jacob was weighed down by guilt; he stood at the mercy of another. And then You showed up, and an all-night contest ensued. I have always wondered about the need to physically wrestle. Why not a knock-down, drag-out debate? You two talk it over. Jacob asks You for a blessing. You agree, change his name, and Jacob walks away without a limp. But I have a feeling that Jacob didn’t do anything the easy way. For him to learn, for him to change, a struggle must occur. The blessing he received from his father, Isaac, was granted under false pretenses. So now he needed a proper blessing bestowed honestly with no deceit or trickery, and You allowed it. And because he lived to tell about it, he named that place Peniel. Jacob didn’t deserve deliverance from Esau. But You are the God who blesses those who don’t deserve it. That’s just how You work.
Prayer for me
We wrestle all the time, You and I. Prayer wrestling. I am always struggling with You to understand why this world is the way it is. Sometimes I walk away, having been enlightened. Sometimes I limp away, still frustrated. Either way, I’m always glad we wrestled. I need Your help to continue struggling, pleading with You to bless me because sometimes it’s just easier to tap out.
Forgive me
Forgive me when I avoid You. And I do, more than I care to admit. When I pray, I have to be honest because if I’m not, You’ll know, and it ends up being just a waste of time. Sometimes I carry guilt around like a yoke, and I don’t want to think about it, which is why I avoid You in the first place. Forgive me for not placing the yoke at Your feet and leaving it there.
Prayer for others
Lord, I pray for those who have cheated and deceived those whom they call family. Just because we are related to someone, doesn’t mean we don’t betray him or her and bury the secret deep inside. I know of those who refuse to communicate with certain family members because of an old rift. Bring them to the edge of their own personal Jabbok, and wrestle with them: Spirit against spirit. Show them Your “face” somehow so they will be forever changed, limping away from their own Peniel, empowered to face the one they have harmed.
Thank you
Thank You for allowing me the privilege of struggling with You. I give You the glory for whatever spiritual strength and endurance I possess – the outcome of our time together.
More praise
You are not the God who is repulsed by my weaknesses and struggles. You will square off with me, grappling and sweating through the pain for hours, days, maybe years. And the reward is Your blessing, Your face shining on me, and Your peace. Such a reward is worth the struggle!
