Wrestling

Lately, I have been obsessed with all things Old Testament. Weird, right? It's like all of a sudden I can't get enough of the Israelites, or I just can't hear enough about the lineage that Jesus chose to descend from on earth. The most current story i have stopped to meditate on is Jacob and Esau. The story is not new to me. I can remember sitting in Sunday School when I was a child and thinking how weird it must have been for Jacob to put on fake fur to trick his father into giving him the birthright that was meant for Esau.

The lesson I really stopped to ponder on comes from a little later in the story though. Jacob goes on to "physically" wrestle with God. What? Is Jacob crazy? I do not think I would have the audacity to wrestle with God. Yet, I do it all the time. I am a  million times guilty of going to the Lord in an almost battle-like stance to fight for the blessings I think would most help me. I don't think I am alone in this action either. We know from the story that Jacob was persistent. God encourages persistence in all areas of our lives, including the spiritual.

Healing from chronic pain has taught me that strong character develops as you struggle through tough conditions. The Lord answered Jacob. After the battle, the Lord blessed Jacob  by renaming him Israel meaning "he struggles with God".  Most importantly, Jacob went on to father the 12 tribes of Israel. If you are wrestling with the Lord today about something, please know that you are not alone.  God sees your persistence.