Wrestling with God

UV 3479/10000 Wrestling with God
So Jacob was left alone, and a Man (came and) wrestled with him until daybreak.
Genesis 32 v 24

Jacob wrestled with God till daybreak and he did not let go till the latter declared a blessing over him. Likewise, we need to wrestle with God in prayer till daybreak and He declares a blessing over us. God honours such persistence and zeal. The Lord surrounds His children with a camp or battalion of His angels or Mahanaim. As long as we are in God’s camp we are safe and secure. Instead of being afraid or worried, we need to submit it to the Lord and He will give us the peace of the Servant Leader, Jesus. The Lord is bigger and stronger than our biggest challenges, problems and enemies. He will give us deliverance even as He delivered Jacob from the threat of a vengeful brother Esau. The serpent leader, in contrast will try to infiltrate our thoughts and distort our perceptions so that we take the wrong decisions under stress.

When we count our problems or worries, we become depressed and downcast. When we count our blessings and the deliverances of the Lord, we become joyful, thankful, grateful. Jacob was worried how his brother Esau would react to him. The Lord gave him many assurances and signs that all would go well with them. Jacob sent many gifts of heads of cattle and flock to his estranged brother Esau to appease him. But it was ultimately the grace of the Lord that Esau greeted him with love and forgiveness. When we win the favour of the Lord, He turns the animosity of our earthly enemies to favour, too.

Jacob renamed the place where he had an encounter with God as Peniel or the face of God for He had seen the face of God and survived. We, too in our lives have our Peniel moments when we see the very face of God. God showed up when Jacob was alone and depressed. He always shows up in our lives when we are worried, depressed, afraid and as we trust Him. He shows up to encourage us, to strengthen us, to deliver us. Instead of wrestling with our fears and worries, we need like Jacob to wrestle with the Lord as a child arm twists his father’s strong arm to get what he needs.