Wrestling with God

“Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.””  Genesis 32:24-30

Jacob was about to meet Esau and was very concerned regarding how it might go for him when they met. Jacob had stolen Esau’s blessing from Isaac earlier in the story, and Esau had vowed to kill him so Jacob was sent away by Isaac and Rebekah for his safety and to find a wife. Jacob was now returning to Canaan and heard that Esau was headed his way with 400 men. The story is in Genesis 26-32 and is worth reading if you have not read it or if it has been a while since you did.

The night before Jacob and Esau would meet for the first time in many years, Jacob slept alone and wrestled with God. He wrestled with Him all night and held on until God blessed him. Similarly, when we are born again, if we will wrestle with God and hold on to him throughout our lives, God will bless us as well. We wrestle with God’s word, trying to understand it and conform our lives to it. We wrestle with sin and temptation, working to get free from sin and stay free from it when we are born again. We wrestle with trusting God, that He has our best interest at heart. Throughout our Christian walk we wrestle with the sin nature within us, with our selfishness, with greed, with lust, persecution, etc., etc., etc. There are many ways that we wrestle with God as believers, so to speak.

If we will stay the course and continue to wrestle with God over the course of our life, we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2) and will become new people (2 Corinthians 5:17). By hanging on to God and continuing to wrestle with Him, we will be blessed by Him, and our life will be a blessing to those around us as well.

What are some of the ways that you have wrestled with God in the past? How are you wrestling with God now? What are some of the things in God’s word that you have wrestled with? What blessing from God do you seek? The primary ways that we wrestle with God as believers is through His word and in prayer. We must be in His word and in prayer constantly. We must hold on to God’s word and connect with Him in prayer like Jacob held on to God when he wrestled with Him that night. By doing this we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, and God’s blessing will be upon our lives and the lives of those around us. Stay the course and hang on. Continue to wrestle until the blessing comes.

Lord God almighty, we come before You in Jesus name, and ask that you would bless us. We are hanging on to you as though our lives depend on it. Open Your word to us that we may understand it and apply it to our lives. Meet with us in prayer, that we may fellowship with You. Lead us by your Holy Spirit, teaching us Your ways and directing our steps. Let Your hand be upon us for good, as Your hand was with our father Jacob. Bless us and prosper us in all that we do. Transform us by the renewing our minds, that we may prove Your good and perfect will. Thank you for the peace and joy you have given us as we follow You daily. We pray this in Jesus name, amen.

Matthew 5:1-12

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”