February 4, 2020
What does it say?
Jacob prepared to return home to face Esau. As a result of wrestling with God all night, his named was changed to Israel, and he received a permanent limp.
What does it mean?
Jacob was wise in preparing for the worst, not knowing if Esau still planned to kill him for taking his birthright twenty years earlier. As Jacob went off by himself to pray, he had no idea that the meeting with Esau would pale by comparison to the encounter he was about to have with God. Before the night and the wrestling match were over, God would change Jacob’s life and his name. No longer was he Jacob, the ‘deceiver’ but Israel (‘one who has power with God’). As dawn broke, he returned to his family limping—a physical reminder that he was forever changed by God’s touch.
How should I respond?
Many times we find ourselves in situations in which we have no control over the outcome. But we can put our hope in God to deliver us in times of crisis and uncertainty. Like Jacob, remind yourself of what God has already promised to do. Take some time to find and ponder some of the promises God has made to you in His Word, and then get alone with Him and pray. Even if you ‘wrestle’ with God over the situation or the outcome, time alone in His presence is life changing. What crisis are you facing today? You can trust Him. His ‘touch’ on your life will be evidence that you’ve had an encounter with God.