“24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.” ~ Genesis 32: 24-28
We are impressionable clay bearing the impacts of life’s events as we journey on this earth. Our personality is God-given; our reputation is forged over time, evidencing our heart’s motives. When we face challenges with others, our chosen attitude may or may not give us success as we seek to move forward. No one else chooses my inward attitude, but it is quickly visible by my words and actions.
Jacob was a man known for taking advantage of others for his own gain. He became a fugitive from his family due to his impatient and deceitful ways. Yet, Jacob met his match years later in a cunning father-in-law, Laban, who cheated him repeatedly during his twenty years of service after he married the man’s two daughters. God favored Jacob and blessed him with more incredible wealth than Laban through those years of labor. Finally, the years of anguish with his difficult father-in-law came to an end. God instructed Jacob to return to his homeland. Even as Jacob sought to flee, he had one last encounter with Laban, but God intervened and gave Jacob safe passage.
But before Jacob could return to his family of origin, God confronted Jacob about his fears in a transformative wrestling match that marked him with a limp for the rest of his life.
What hardships have you faced that have changed your heart’s attitude and impacted your life? For example, did you encounter some injustice by the hand of someone you had trusted yet failed you? As a result, how has your relationship with God been affected?
I can relate well to Jacob with unkind relatives. On a healing journey, my faith has been forged in a crucible full of anguish, regret, doubt, anger, and hopelessness. But God loved me so much; He would not let me give up in despair. Instead, he held me close, captured my tears in His bottle, taught me how to stand, and gave me victory over those negative emotions which sought to entangle and enslave me.
Even though hurtful people crossed my path, they could not derail God’s plan for me. Therefore, God protected me from those untrustworthy individuals who thought only of themselves.
No, instead, He took the broken shards of my heart and transformed it into a mosaic of beauty and strength. Only my Heavenly Father could take what was seemingly useless and create a testimony of faith and dependency, overflowing into a blessing for others. So, I have a choice, a daily journey, to yield to His Sovereign will and trust Him for healing that would be lasting.
I, too, have a limp like Jacob, but just as his name and life changed, I also have a new name and a lasting hope.
I could have given up with that limp, sitting down and pitying myself, but I have chosen to walk – to not remain stagnant in old ways, old hurts, and old memories.
Yes, I walk with a limp as I depend entirely on my trustworthy God, who heals. So I limp, but I am moving forward.
With focused determination, I embrace this journey with abandon and lean on my Heavenly Abba, who has transformed me for all of eternity.
Gleanings From Heaven's Gate 