Genesis 32:29
.......And he blessed him there.
Jacob, the "heel grabber", "supplanter", deceiver, cheater.....was after the blessing from his conception. While inside the womb of his mother, he was wrestling with his twin brother Esau. Esau was born first, but not by much! Esau came out with Jacob holding onto his heel. Jacob lived his life trying to get that blessing by whatever means possible. He cheated his brother out of his birthright, he deceived his dad into giving him the blessing of the firstborn, and worked for his uncle Laban for 21 years until it was time to burn another bridge. Still he had not received the blessing of God that he so desperately wanted. Not until he got into a predicament that even he couldn't weasel out of, did he come into a place where God could change him. The Bible tells us that he wrestled with God that night, and when God touched his hip, Jacob stopped wrestling and just started holding on. It was there in that place of surrender that God changed Jacob to Israel. It was there that God blessed him, and it wasn't a manipulated blessing, it was a blessing on God's terms. That is also the place where God will change the way you walk. Stop wrestling with Him and just hold on. Amen
When do we wrestle with God nowadays. Seems to me that the wrestling I do is everyu time my thoughts get in the way of what God wants, that is wrestling. Guilty- ever wonder how many times a day we have thoughts not of the Lord.Myself too many. Why the word says we must die to the flesh. ken
ReplyDeleteI geuss I can relate to Jacob. I mean who hasn't tried to receive from God their way instead of God's way. Who hasn't felt like they have to do this or that or it just won't work out like we think it should. To me, this is a surrender issue that Jacob had. I wasn't the firstborn in my family and I am glad. The firstborn in my family was not blessed for it at all. I still remember trying to receive my fathers' attention or his approval. Since I have surrendered to God, He has become my Father. And I can have all the attention and approval that I am willing to receive. But, I have to recieve it His way, not mine! In order for us to increase and muliply and rule and reign like kings and priests, God has to be Lord and Savior. Surrendering is not always the easy way but it is the only way!
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