Pray First.

Read Genesis 32:22-32. 

Have you ever watched a professional wrestling match? Those guys pummel one another; body slamming, pounding the other guy with a folding chair, throwing their rival over the ropes, out of the ring, and onto the concrete floor. But is all this actually real? Well, it’s certainly a real talented performance with some trickery that keeps audiences returning for more. If you’ve ever read the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis, you may know that Jacob was also quite the performer, deceiving and tricking others to get his own way. The name Jacob actually means “supplanter, or deceiver.” It may have been this deception and trickery that got him into a wrestling match with God. 

Jacob had left Laban with his wives, servants, and livestock to return to his homeland. As he traveled across the wilderness with his large entourage, he knew that God had called him to return home and that God was with him. He had seen God’s army of angels as he departed from Laban (Gen 32:1 ESV). However, as they drew closer to home, he couldn’t help but think of what Esau might do to him and his family. Remember, he had deceived Esau out of his birthright and tricked their father into giving him a blessing meant for Esau. Jacob’s fear grew as he remembered that his brother had vowed to kill him. His thoughts changed from trusting God’s presence with him to fear. He even divided his camp into two and so that one would survive if the other didn’t. 

And then, Jacob was left alone. It was in this time alone, away from all distractions, that God got his attention. “A man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day”(Genesis 32:24 ESV). God can take on any form he chooses, including a man, and so limit his own power, even to the point that “he did not prevail against Jacob” (Gen 32:25 ESV). Some commentaries state the man in this passage was an angel, some say it was God, some say it was Jesus incarnate. The point here is that God had a lesson for Jacob, whether it was himself or his angel that wrestled. With the touch of his hand, God dislocated Jacob’s hip. God had a will and a plan for Jacob, but Jacob had to let go of his old ways of scheming and self-reliance for God to change him.

I’m no theologian, but I believe this was the point in the battle that Jacob laid it all down. He knew he had held onto his own pride and deception in order to get his way, and now he laid his life before God and gave God his complete trust. He began to hold tighter to the one he fought, not to achieve a victory over God, but to submit his will to God’s and receive a blessing; a blessing God intended for him all along. 

God asked him, “What is your name?” (Gen 32:27 ESV). God wanted Jacob to confess the sinfulness of his past identity so that He could show him the person he would become. God said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob [deceiver, heel grabber] but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Gen 32:28 ESV). According to David Guzik in his commentary on Genesis 32, “Jacob prevailed in the sense that he endured through his struggle with God until the Lord thoroughly conquered him. In struggling with God, the only way to win is by losing and by not giving up until having lost. This was how Jacob prevailed.” He submitted to God and gave up his old life for the new life God was calling him to. The battle was over, and God blessed Jacob. 

Have you ever felt like you’ve had a wrestling match going on inside of you? The devil on one shoulder telling you “do this” and an angel on the other saying “do that” is a real battle, a spiritual battle. Temptation draws us to the things we shouldn’t do and the enemy, Satan, makes those things look very appealing. 

God calls us to a path that He has planned for us, a good plan. But the enemy certainly doesn’t want us to obey God. He tempts us to run from God. He tells us we don’t need God. He tells us that we’re fine right where we are. He makes us question God’s existence, His will, and His goodness. And if he can get us to turn away from God for a moment, he is quick to tempt us into further darkness, without us even realizing we’re falling into his trap.

Sometimes we think our sin is too big for God. The enemy wants us to believe a lie, that God would never want us, that we are nothing, that we are unworthy. The truth is, we are not and never will be worthy on our own. But Jesus came to die on the cross to pay the price for all of our sins, even the ones we think he could never forgive. When we receive him as our savior, he forgives us and washes us white as snow. No sin is too big for him to forgive. When we’re forgiven, God sees us with the righteousness of Jesus, instead of our unworthiness. He sees us as his very own children and has grace sufficient for all our sins. 

No matter what you may be wrestling with, God is able to give you courage and strength to resist temptation and to do the things he wants you to do. He wants you to leave behind your old self—the deceiver, unbeliever, the shamed—and receive the new life he has for you, just as Jacob left behind his old name and received a new name. If you take just one step toward him, you’ll see that God is able to do more than you could imagine in your life. 

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track” (Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG).

 

Worship: The Truth by Megan Woods

 

Find Tracy on Facebook at Tracy Fields Todd, Writer, and on Instagram at @tracyftodd.