Unlimited: When God Wrestles
Jul 19, 2019 2617
“Then Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So, He said to him, “What is your name? ”He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32: 24–28, NIV).
Jacob has learned that the brother he cheated is coming to meet him with his army. At midnight he feels that Esau has fallen upon him and that he is wrestling with Esau. But it is not Esau.
They wrestle on and on and on to teach Jacob something. The One Jacob wrestles puts forth a finger and puts Jacob’s thigh out of joint as if to say, “Listen, son, I could have dealt with you a long time ago. It is only in mercy to you that I let you wrestle on. You are wrestling with God!”
The Son of God comes down in human form and wrestles with Jacob. The visitant wants to get something from Jacob. What is it? Surrender, acknowledgment of his own weakness, depravity, and need.
Unless the Spirit of God comes in to motivate us differently, our only motive is to avoid pain and find happiness. Dwight L. Moody said, “I have more trouble with myself than any other man I have ever met.”
That is so true; it is our story. We wrestle with ourselves. God is very patient with us and he deals with us through his Holy Spirit. He wrestles with us so we will come to the point where give up trying to do it our way. God wrestles with us by pain, by his word, and by his spirit. He wrestles with us to try to teach us to surrender our will to his. – Des Ford (adapted)
Eli’s Reflection: A time of wrestling and crisis will come at some point in our lives. How will we get through it? By surrendering to the one who wrestles with me in life’s trials through the moving of the Spirit.
andriamaheriniaina
Jul 19, 2019
Thanks for the message Pastor !
Benitta Nkhuwa
Jul 19, 2019
I am very thankful for the word of God which is so very powerful and touching, I have lent that God's love for us is so amazing it only requires us (me) to surrender everything to him.
Eliezer Gonzalez
Jul 20, 2019
You're welcome!