Wrestling with God

Genesis 32:13-34:31 Matthew 11:7-30 Psalm 14 Proverbs 3:19-20

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and overcome.” – Genesis 32:28 TNIV

Imagine your parents named you deceiver. Maybe not that exact word, but a name that everyone knows means deceiver. Named after someone known to be deceptive, like Lucifer. Or a politician everyone knows cheated. Imagine the realization that you’ve lived up to your name when you’ve tricked your dad for the inheritance he planned to give your brother. How would you think of yourself? It seems to me a very depressing life.

This was Jacob’s life. On his way back home, he hangs back behind everyone else one night to be alone. A man attacks him and wrestles with him all night. Jacob believes this man to be God and refuses to let go until God blesses him. God gives Jacob a new name and changes his life. He is no longer deceiver, he is one who wrestles with God.

God wants to wrestle with us. He wants us to bring the things we are struggling with to Him and grill him with questions. Why did You let this happen? Why didn’t You do something about that? But know this, wrestling with God will change your life forever.

Father God, there are things we struggle with that we don’t understand. We are not all proud of the way we’ve lived our lives. Sometimes we are afraid to come to You and to talk with You and wrestle with You over these things. Come and attack us when we are alone and wrestle with us over these things. Let us not let go until You’ve changed our lives. Amen.