In the very first book of the Bible, in Genesis 32:22-32, we read the account of a man wrestling with God.
Jacob’s life was much like our own life. He had weaknesses and struggles. He had failures and sin.
He had deceived and treated others poorly.
He had been deceived, and had been treated poorly.
He worked hard. He had joys. He suffered pain, heartache, loss.
When we come to the account in Genesis 32, Jacob’s life was in a state of upheaval and turmoil!
And God showed up.
God showed up right in the middle of it all. In the middle of Jacob’s confusion! … fear! … doubt … anger.
Jacob wrestled with God all night!
It’s ok for us to wrestle with God. In our confusion … in our fear … in our hurt, and loss, and anger … in our doubt. God can handle it. God will show up and be there for us … right there in the middle of it all!
And it doesn’t matter how long it takes.
God will wrestle with us through it … however long it needs to take.
Jacob’s name, his very identity, was “He who deceives.”
After wrestling with God, God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel” – meaning “He who struggles with God.”
No longer was Jacob defined by his past, by his failures, by his mistakes. God had given Jacob/Israel a new identity … an identity born out of his relationship with God. God was taking Jacob/Israel to a new place! … with new hope … for a new future.
The same is true for us. God invites us to wrestle with Him. To bring all our failures … all our mistakes … all our heartaches and sorrows … all our confusion … all our fear … all our hurt and anger. God wants us to bring it all to Him … and wrestle with Him through it.
God will meet us there. God will help us work through it all.
And from that, God will give us a new identity … an identity born out of our relationship with Him. God will take us to a new place … with new hope … for a new future.
Will God answer all our questions? No.
Like Jacob/Israel, we too might have a “limp” which we will need to learn to live with. But it’s ok. Because as we live with the “limp”, it will serve to strengthen our faith in God. Our “limp” will constantly be a reminder of our utter dependence on God … and that God will always be there for us! No matter what!
