Do you struggle to find the will of God?
One person says this. Your pastor suggests something else. And the Word … even the Word seems to fail you.
When you find yourself at the crux of a momentous decision, and you need direction from God, do what Jacob did.
1. He sent everyone away. We might call this going into our prayer closet.
2. He refused to give up. He wrestled with a messenger from God until he had assurance that he had the Father’s blessing. Today we call this persistent prayer.
3. He created a milestone to mark his progress with God. We do this by celebrating the place of our revelation so that we can be reminded of the goodness of God.
We can read of Jacob’s face-to-face encounter with the divine in Genesis 32:22-30.
“The same night he arose and … sent [his entourage] across the stream, and … Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. … Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ … Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.’ … So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel … saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.’ ”
See, here’s the background. The next day, Jacob was to meet his brother Esau, the man from whom he’d stolen his father’s birthright. He was sincerely frightened that Esau would try to kill him. He didn’t want to do this thing.
Jacob wanted reassurance that this meeting had God’s blessing before taking his family into what was potentially a deadly situation.
When we face heady challenges, let’s be a Jacob, just not the conniving youth that had to flee the country as a young man. Let’s be the mature Jacob that dives into the Word, gets godly advice from established saints, and refuses to let God go until we hear from him.
Then let’s celebrate our newfound connection with God. We don’t call God’s people the Jacobites, do we? We don’t call ourselves ex-sinners, either. Christians, Christians, all the way!
Our wrestling comes through the Word and persistent prayer. We win gold when we enter the presence of God and affirm his will for our lives. Then we celebrate so that we never forget.
On your knees, Bible out, wrestle! God is waiting on you!
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Code: FGO.B.08.22b.vp.esv.