Genesis 32:22-32

Jacob was a wrestler. He had been wrestling his whole life. On the day of his birth, he wrestled with his brother Esau trying to be the first one born. He was born hanging onto his brother’s heel. That wrestling and striving had continued for the rest of his life. The one thing he did not seem to wrestle with as much as he should have however, was his own conscience. He did not hesitate to take advantage of his brother’s hunger. He did not hesitate to deceive his father and cheat his brother out of his inheritance.

Jacob was a wrestler. When he met Laban he found himself wrestling with a pro. He was wrestling above his weight class. He was out of his depth. The first round he lost on points and ended up with the wrong wife. The second round was a draw. He got his wife Rachel and Laban got his seven years of labor. The third round would have seen him go down in defeat, except the referee stepped in. God called foul on Laban, and Jacob won.

Jacob was a wrestler, and the headlining match was about to begin. Jacob was about to wrestle with God. It is hard to wrestle with God and the world at the same time. Jacob sent everyone across the stream; he wanted to be alone with God. They wrestled all night long. Jacob would not surrender. He knew what he wanted and he strived with all his might to achieve it. Jacob wanted god’s blessing and he was not willing to quit struggling until he got it. God honored Jacob’s perseverance and his sincerity. God blessed him. God gave him a new name, because after wrestling with God, Jacob was a new man.

It is impossible to wrestle with God without wrestling with ourselves at the same time. Wrestling with God will always change us. It is possible to accept God as savior without a struggle. But for some, like Jacob, everything is a struggle. If you are like Jacob, then it’s time to wrestle with God.