Genesis 32-34, Psalm 10
Genesis 32:24-28 (NLT)
“This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and
wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he
would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its
socket. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is
breaking!’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ ‘What
is your name?’ the man asked. He replied, ‘Jacob.’ ‘Your name will no longer be
Jacob,’ the man told him. ‘From now on you will be called Israel, because
you have fought with God and with men and have won.’”
In Genesis 32:24–28, we read about Jacob wrestling with a
man who is later revealed to be a divine being—an angel of the Lord. Jacob
wrestled with him until daybreak, and when the man saw that he could not
overpower Jacob, he touched Jacob’s hip and dislocated it. Even then, Jacob
refused to let him go until he received a blessing. The man then revealed
Jacob’s new name—Israel—explaining that Jacob had struggled with God and with
men and had prevailed. Jacob’s former name meant “supplanter,” one who grasps or
overtakes.
I love this encounter because it marks Jacob’s deeply
personal moment with the Lord. The wrestling was not merely physical—it
symbolized Jacob’s lifelong struggle with Father-God. Jacob did not give up easily; he
wrestled through the night and refused to let go. Biblical scholars often point
out that when the angel struck Jacob’s hip, it demonstrated Father-God’s power
and authority over him. Jacob’s strength was touched, and yet he still clung to
the Lord. In that moment, Jacob received both a blessing and a new identity.
While I have not had a physical encounter with the Lord like
Jacob, I recognize my own seasons of wrestling with Father-God. I have spent
sleepless nights turning over things the Lord asked me to do—because, like
Jacob, obedience required a change in how I saw myself. Over the past few
years, the Holy Spirit has been drawing me into a deeper relationship with
Jesus Christ, encouraging me to trust more fully in the promises Father-God has given
believers in Scripture.
This has been a struggle for me because the Lord gave me a
capable mind, and I have always been someone who could figure things out on my
own. I rarely relied on others to accomplish what I needed to do. But as I
began to depend more on the Lord and develop a closer relationship with the
Holy Spirit, I realized that trusting Father-God does not mean abandoning wisdom or
intelligence. It means recognizing that true wisdom includes relying on the
Lord’s promises and guidance. I am no longer carrying things alone.
As I’ve learned to trust Father-God more deeply, doors have
opened that I never could have anticipated on my own. I now have confidence—not
in myself alone—but in knowing that I will be successful in doing what the Lord
asks of me because I am guided by His Spirit.
If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place
your faith in Jesus Christ, the One you can trust to guide and sustain you—this
may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer, expressing
your trust, your desire to walk with Him, and your willingness to welcome His
presence into your life. God is faithful and ready to meet you exactly where
you are.
Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for
all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart
that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is
my Lord and Savior. Right now, I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of
salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made
new in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of
Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel,
Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s
love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.
Being part of a Holy Spirit–led church community has deeply
shaped my faith. If you’re searching for a place to grow, worship, and
encounter God, you can explore my church and its affiliated campuses here: https://revivaltoday.com/
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