“I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Genesis 32:26
This is a strange story. Many years after Jacob was betrayed he returned home but his brother moved against him with 400 armed men. Jacob send his family and all his riches away and stayed behind alone. Fear started to creep up on him. God blesses him a lot and made him a lot of promises, but who was he, Jacob, anyway? A fraud and a liar that’s what he truly was. God Himself showed him all his sins in this night. Then someone came, not a man and not an angle. He fought with Jacob but could not win. He smashed Jacobs hip so he had a limp for the rest of his life. But Jacob didn’t stop, and Jacob grappled him and said: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he blesses him with the words: "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome." Jacob never knew his name but later he said he saw God face to face, and yet his life was spared. Now Jacob could face his brother without fear, because he was blesses by the Lord.
Sometimes we have to struggle with God. He puts Himself in the way of thoughtlessness and convenience, or in the way of bitterness and pride. Than He shows us all our failures and sins. Those are horrible times! Jacob did the right thing and struggled until he was blesses. We should do it just the same and be the victor of this fight. The struggle goes on until we put all our sins on his shoulders. Finally our heart get peace and becomes joyful: I fought with God and humans, with all prosecutors, and I overcame them because I hung onto Jesus until He took my burdens. Now I am joyful and free because I am blessed by the Lord!
Thank You Jesus, You don’t want me to perish! I have to struggle with You, so You can take over my burdens. You care about the path that I take – the easy one into darkness, or the hard one that leads to heaven. Thank You, for Your helpful interventions!
Bible reading today: Revelation 9:13-21