So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. Scripture Reference: Genesis 32:24

The match between the two was relentless. Each of the wrestlers determined not to give in. Hours pass and the "Man" and Jacob continue kicking up dust as they secure their footing. As the dust rises up to the face of the 'Man', He is reminded of the moment He formed man and breathed into him. When He grabs at Jacob's arms and shoulders, He touches the skin, his flesh, and sees that the carnality of man is strong and must be tamed. So the 'Man', who is God, shows His sovereignty and strength and touches Jacob's hip. "If Jacob is to walk out the promise I professed to him", God reflects, "then I must wrest this old paradigm, this old mode of operation he is used to doing." God notices that Jacob's wrestling becomes more zealous-it is different from the beginning. "It is almost daybreak, let me go", God asks of him. He wonders if Jacob understood what He asked him "Jacob, my son, do you want to attain this promise legitimately? Understand that no flesh can glory in My Presence." Jacob responds, "I will not let you go unless you bless me".

God smiles because He heard the response He has desired from His wrestling partner "Yes Lord, I want to do this your way! No more self-reliant, self-preserved, self-sufficient supplanter. Have your way, Lord." God notices Jacob's hard-earned sweat was mixed with a steady flow of tears as Jacob spoke. Now, God pins him and looks Jacob dead in the eyes and inquires, "What is your name?" Jacob tells God what he understood about himself. God's Spirit spoke into Jacob's spirit, "My child, my child--how do people know you? Let me tell you who you are as I know you. You are the one who wrestled with the One who created you.You are the one who wrestled against your past deception and past scheming, and you overcame! You are no longer Jacob, but Israel!!" Then the one who was called the "Deceiver" exits the match as the "Overcomer".

Dear one, the intention behind God wrestling Jacob is the same reason He desires to do the same with you. God longs to bless you. He is determined for you to have life and have it more abundantly in Him. Are you ready to relinquish it all to Him? Are you ready to accept the new and surrender the old? Are you ready to answer to a new name, your true name? If your answer is yes, then all that can be said can be summed up in five words: Let's get ready to rumble.

Show me Father that I need to trust You completely, and relinquish everything, so that You can be more abundant in my life. Amen

Tammy Miller

Labels: Tammy Miller

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 men and have overcome." Genesis 32:24-28 (NIV)

For the record, I am not a WWF fan or novice. I have never liked anything about it except one thing-the announcer starting off the evening with the proclamation, "Let's Get Ready to Rumble!!" Even though the wrestling matches leave much to be desired, you knew from that announcement something big was about to happen. The same can be said of one of the most popular wrestling matches of all time. I have heard pastors preach about the tenacity of Jacob desiring the blessing of God. What about the 'opponent's' point of view? What was God's intention for the match of a lifetime?

Let's start with the pretext of this story. Jacob had left Laban in a tense departure due to some under-handed dealings by Laban (see Genesis 31). As Jacob and his family left, they were heading toward his brother, Esau's territory. Terrified that Esau was coming to make good on his threat to kill him, Jacob cried out to the Lord to save him. He reminded God but you have said, "I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand in the sea, which cannot be counted" (Genesis 32:12 NIV). The match began. God and Jacob in the throes of the night, one trying to pin the other; both are strong opponents. It almost seems nonsensical that God would initiate this wrestling in the most stressful, life-threatening time for Jacob.

Nevertheless, it was necessary for this to happen, but not for the obvious reason of Jacob being saved from imminent death and destruction. This was about God answering Jacob's prayer and following through to see that nothing would stand in the way of His Covenant promise. Let me bring this to your house. Are you in the beginning phase of a wrestling match with God? Has He been initiating this match to see what He has promised come to fruition? Have you been hesitating because you don't know what is on the other side of the wrestling match or even in the midst of it?

Holy Father, I thank you that you are a tenacious God who is deserving of all my praise. Help me Lord to understand that You desire the best for me and that you desire for me to be the best Me. Help me to remember that Your thoughts are not my thoughts and that my ways are not Your ways. So, I yield myself to You. Amen.

Tammy Miller

Labels: Tammy Miller