Struggling with God
Luke 19:37-48; Genesis 32:22-32, Romans 7:21-25; 12:1-2
Genesis 32:22-32 takes us to a time in Jacob’s life as he was returning home after a 20-years. Jacob had contact with God on other occasions but this time it was life changing. Jacob’s wrestling with God’s Message gives us insights about struggling with God. Jacob is alone, alive and forever altered.
Jacob was Alone. Genesis 32:22-23
People in Jacobs life was gone. Provisions made to soften his brother’s anger. Time for testing. He must face the brother he had deceived. Time of loneliness most are not equipped to handle. We structure our lives to avoid loneliness. Time to think, reflect, pray.Time to face who he was. The prophet Hosea wrote about this moment in Jacob’s life. Hosea 12:2-4 “The Lord will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds in the womb he grasped his brother’s heel as a man he struggled with God.” He had to face God.
Jacob was Alive Genesis 32:24-25
Alive to struggle with God. Our struggle with God is through events, choices prayer and reflection. Alive to experience God. Alive to understanding he is not self-sufficient and his stubbornness separated him from God. People and even Christians have times when there is a struggle with the Lord. Romans 7:21-25 Paul knew about struggling with himself and God and admits this battle. Struggling with God can produce a new life of purposed living.
Jacob was Altered. Genesis 32:26-32
Jacob was a broken man hanging on God. He insisted on fighting the Lord while God attempted to grow faith. He exhausts himself.Learning to stop living by our resources and self-sufficiency developing dependence on God regardless of circumstance. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches if a person remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.” Jacob became a blessed man. He left his home in Canaan, as a deceiver, trickster. He was returning a new man worthy of a new name: Israel “prince with God.” Jacob a branded man would always walk with a limp a reminder he had been touched by God! When a believer is touched by God, there will be a difference.
If you are now or have ever wrestled with God hold on allowing God to open your heart, redirect your thinking and strengthen your faith. Romans 12:1-2 is a call to be a living sacrifice to the Lord. A result of God’s mercy we offer ourselves as a set apart for spiritual worship refusing to be conformed by society being transformed by a new mind, tested and approved as being in God’s will.