You can’t get this from AI
Jacob was in trouble, and he knew it.
After decades of being away, God told him to take his family back to his homeland. The problem with doing so was that he would have to face up to his brother. When they were younger, Jacob had cheated Esau out of his family’s inheritance and his father’s blessing. Then Jacob left because he discovered Esau’s plan to kill him as soon as their father died.
Now Jacob and his family are heading home, just like God told him to. They are one day away from their destination and have gotten word that Esau is headed their way – and he’s bringing 400 men with him.
Jacob is so scared that he split his family into two camps and sent them all ahead, so they could offer gifts and livestock, in an attempt to soften Esau’s disposition. Completely alone, he stayed back for the night – and ended up in a fight for his life:
Genesis 32:24-28, 31
Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob’s hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip. Then he said to Jacob, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
“What is your name?” the man asked.
“Jacob,” he replied
“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”
…The sun shone on him as he passed by Penuel – limping because of his hip.
Jacob spent the entire night wrestling with God. Straining, attacking, defending, pouring out all his energy into his struggle…and because of that night, he was forever changed.
It cost him something – Jacob’s hip bothered him the rest of his life. But he gained something greater – a new identity. God blessed Jacob with a new name, and this name would be a distinctive identifier for him and all who would follow in his family line.
It was recently brought to my attention that Jacob could have received this unique blessing only one way – through struggle. Jacob was no stranger to struggle in his life; some of it was due to his own choices, some of it was brought on by others. Instead of being consumed by the challenges in his life, Jacob found favor and blessing with God because he chose to struggle through them.
But most of us (myself included) don’t like to struggle. We like it when victories come easy. We take shortcuts all the time to avoid struggle. Don’t feel like making dinner? Doordash it. Don’t want to do laundry? Go to Target and buy a shirt (I did this once). Have a question about God or the Bible? Ask AI for the answer.
I have nothing against services, stores, and tools…but if we outsource everything, including our God-sized questions, then our avoidance of struggle keeps us from obtaining the rewards that only come through effort.
Don’t miss this from Jacob’s story – God honored Jacob for struggling with Him. Maybe we’re afraid of what the struggle might cost us. But that kind of thinking underestimates the amount of blessing God can give. Do you believe God is bigger than your struggles? Do you believe His goodness and blessings are better than what you might give up?
It wasn’t just a name change for Jacob. He received a new identity – one that impacted him, his family, and all of history.
Don’t think that is possible for you? Then struggle with God and find out.
Keep Pressing,
Ken