Genesis 32:22-31
That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Genesis 32:22-31 (NIV)
Let me begin by saying that I ran track for a reason. In high school and college, I ran on my school’s cross-country and track teams, and I enjoyed it. I did not have the upper body strength, or the coordination needed for other sports, but did have endurance and determination. There was one other sport that I respected, and that was wrestling. Take the endurance needed for running, the upper body strength needed for football, and coordination needed for basketball, and combine them-that’s a wrestler. A friend of mine described training for wrestling as “preparing every part of you to struggle at full power for as long as you can.” Like I said, they had (and still have) my respect.
Our lesson today talks about Jacob wrestling with someone from night until daybreak. It is when he is alone that he struggles. Scholars disagree on the exact identity of this individual, some will say that it was God, others will say that it was one of God’s angels. Regardless, they struggled all night. This struggle leads to a blessing, and to a new name for Jacob.
There are times in our lives when all of us struggle. Not just with ourselves or the world around us, but also with God. I am always concerned when someone tells me that their life is great all the time and nothing bad happens. That is just not how things work. We can make all the preparations that we can, but even the best laid plans will go off the rails at some point. So, what do we do?
I think that it is important to remember that we learn more from struggling than we do from succeeding. If there was never a reason to push ourselves, why would we ever grow? The bible is full of stories of humans doing the most human thing I can think of, which is to struggle. Each had their own struggle, whether it was Simon Peter struggling to catch fish, King David struggling with King Saul, or anyone (and frankly all of them) struggling with God. And yet, through all of this, God brought them through their struggles and used them to make the world better.
The theme for this week’s devotions is struggling, and how it is that we come through it. As you read the devotions that come out each day, ask yourself, how is it that I struggle? How is it that God is with me when I struggle? What lessons have I learned? I think that God honors our struggles. Even the disciples, those who were closest to Jesus, had trouble believing. But Jesus continued to encourage them, even to the cross and beyond. In the same way, God loves you and continues to work with you when you struggle.
Questions for Reflection:
- How do you prepare yourself for daily struggles? How do you prepare your mind, your body, and your spirit?
- What would you say is your biggest struggle right now? I encourage you to pray that God will help and guide you through this struggle.
Prayer:
Lord, I come to you today to ask for help in my struggles. Big, small, or impossible, I place it in Your hands. Please guide me and direct me today, so that I might honor you with my words and actions. No matter the outcome, help me to grow deeper in my belief in You.
Thank you, Lord. Amen.
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