Wrestling with God
The man who fought with God – and won
Sometimes we need more than just prayer to change our lives. More than fasting. More than chains of prayers. More than fighting our problems. We need to fight with God Himself.Jacob knew what that meant. And here's why.
Imagine being given the name "Cheater" at birth. "Have you seen my baby boy? His name is Cheater." "Cheater, stop playing with your food!" "Hey Cheater, will you hand me that hammer?"
That's what Jacob had to live with, because his name meant "one who takes from another illegally." And his parents' prophecy, hidden in that name came true – Jacob did become a very sly man. Through craftiness, he "bought" his brother's birthright and misled his father Isaac into blessing him as if he were Esau the firstborn. No wonder his brother vowed to kill him.
Jacob fled home and went to live with his uncle Laban, where he stayed for about 20 years. There he got married, had many children, and prospered beyond his dreams. At one point, Jacob was wealthier than his boss and uncle Laban. So he decided it was time to go back home. But would his brother still be after him? Would his father still be mad?
On the way back home, journeying through the desert with his now large company of family and servants, Jacob took stock of his life. As he looked at his people, his goods and livestock, he remembered that only twenty years earlier he had made that journey alone and empty-handed. But God had been faithful to his vow at Bethel, when Jacob became a tither. He had so much to thank God for.
And yet, why wasn't he happy? What was missing from his life? Why did he feel so empty and incomplete?
Jacob sought to be alone with God. One night as they came to a brook, Jacob crossed over with his wives, servants, and all his possessions but then stayed behind by himself. There, an angel of God came to him as a man, and Jacob saw the opportunity to change his life. He wrestled and struggled with the Lord's Angel the whole night, and said to Him, "I'm not letting you go 'til you bless me."
Jacob was dead serious. He was determined not to let go of the Angel. He wanted to be blessed. But what blessing could he be after? He was already rich, had wives and children, and was a healthy man – what else could he be asking for?
Jacob knew that the physical things he had, even his beloved wives and children, meant nothing to him unless his inner man had changed. That's the blessing he longed for all his life. He was tired of being Jacob, the cheat and deceiver. He wanted to be a new man, to shake off the ghosts from the past, the memories of what he had achieved through cunning, including the blessing of the firstborn
–He wanted to be at peace with God, with men, and with himself.
God knew what Jacob wanted. And He got right to it: "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." Genesis 32:27-28
Israel – a name that means "one who struggles with God" – became Jacob's new identity, and eventually the name of God's entire nation. Jacob had become a new man.
Maybe you have been struggling with all the wrong things in your life – your husband or wife, children, finances, health, depression, a painful past, etc. You've been wrestling the wrong things. It's time to wrestle with God. Only He can change your name and your life.
You want to change your life. But do you want it so badly that you're prepared even to fight with God for it?
Pr. Renato Cardoso
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