So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.
Genesis 32:24-25 (NIV)
Who was this man Jacob wrestled with, was it a mortal man, an angel or was it God himself? It says in the verse the man lost and was overpowered. But was he really? The man touched Jacob’s hip socket and it was wrenched as a reminder of the bout. Jacob wrestled this “man” all night, he lost sleep, and he would not give up. The “man” touched his socket and he was crippled and before the “man” left he blessed him and changed Jacob’s name to Israel.
Jacob lost sleep that night as he wrestled with God. Have you ever lost sleep? Have you ever wrestled with problems, situations and issues when you could have been asleep? Have you ever wrestled with God? There is no win in that for you. Jacob was left with a limp and an injury by not submitting earlier. What happens to us when we don’t give in and submit to God?
Did God tell us we should wrestle with him over our problems, decisions, and situations? Did God tell us we should lose sleep and rest or that we were on our own? No, of course not, God doesn’t stick his arms up in the air and say best out of three. God has told us what to do with these decisions, problems and burdens. Well, pretty much he has told us to give these burdens to him, he said let me help you with that. Take a look at the transcript: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV).
Do you want to sleep or do you want to wrestle?
God Bless
Ken Jones
THS
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