Wrestling with God
Hello, once again my friend!
As a kid, I remember wrestling with my Uncle Mack. He was SO much bigger than me and often, he would simply put his head on my forehead and hold me just out of reach. I would swing my little arms, trying to make contact with him, but I just couldn’t reach!
Our wrestling matches were very one-sided because my uncle had all the strength and really long arms!
The pivotal moment in Jacob’s journey—the wrestling match by the Jabbok River—is a powerful metaphor for our own struggles with God and the process of transformation. Alone and facing the potential wrath of his brother, Jacob encountered a man with whom he wrestled until daybreak. This was not a casual sparring match; it was a deep, intense struggle that left Jacob physically marked (see Genesis 32:22-28).
Wrestling my uncle offered me a glimpse into the seemingly unequal nature of Jacob’s encounter with God. Jacob was completely mismatched. There was no way for him to win, but God honored Jacob’s tenacity and his refusal to let go until he received a blessing.
This wrestling match represents the internal battles we all face as we grapple with God’s will, our own desires, and the process of change. It’s in these moments of struggle, when we cling to God with all our might, that true transformation often occurs.
The question posed during the wrestling match, "What is your name?", is significant (Genesis 32:27, NIV). Take a moment and consider, what are the negative names you have assigned to yourself?
Jacob’s honest answer, “Jacob,” acknowledges his past identity, the trickster he had been. It is in this moment of vulnerability and truthfulness that God declares his new name: "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." (Genesis 32:28, NIV)
Take a moment and reflect on times in your life when you have felt like you were wrestling with God. Perhaps it was a difficult decision, a period of intense prayer, or a struggle to surrender to His will.
You need to know that these struggles are not necessarily a sign of opposition, but often a necessary part of our growth and transformation. It is in clinging to God, even when it feels difficult, that we receive his blessing and a new identity.
Jacob walked away from that encounter with a new name! This former con-man would become the man from whom the entire nation of Israel got its name! What a transformation!
My friend, you can experience the same transformation, a new name, and a new identity if you are open to all that God has to say over you today. His heart is for all the names that you call yourself to line up with the names HE has given you!
I would love to pray for you to that end today!
Lord, we acknowledge that there are times when following You feels like a wrestling match. So, we bring before you our struggles, doubts, and even our resistance. Grant us the tenacity of Jacob to hold onto You, and to seek your blessing even in the midst of difficulty. Help me to be honest about who we are, trusting that in our vulnerability, you will reveal my true identity in you. Amen.
Never forget my friend… You are a miracle!
