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 as they wrestled and dislocated his hip socket. 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.”…And He blessed him there. Jacob then named the place Peniel, “For,” he said, “I have seen God face to face, and I have been delivered.” — Genesis 32:24–26, 29–30
In this passage, Jacob wrestles with God in the person of Jesus. We know this because the man says, “I have seen God face to face” (Gn 32:30). It could not have been God the Father because John 1:18 states, “No man has ever seen God.” Therefore, we know that Jacob wrestled with God the Son, Jesus.
As they wrestled, Jesus dislocated Jacob’s hip. Every coach knows that athletes need strong legs to compete, especially in wrestling. Without his legs an athlete cannot wrestle; he can only hold on. That is exactly what Jacob did. He gripped God!
His grip on God resulted in brokenness, both physically and spiritually. Because he continued to grip God through his brokenness, he received a blessing. Jacob left this experience a changed man. God not only changed his name, but also his personality. Instead of being a cheat and a thief, Jacob became the father of a nation. Jacob moved from being a believer in name only to living a totally changed life completely dedicated to God.
1. How good is your grip on God?
2. Are you broken for God?
3. Are you blessed even through brokenness?
4. Are you living a changed life for God?
Extra Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1–10
Lord, I pray that I will continue to grip You with all that I am. Let me experience the true brokenness that leads to Your blessing. Allow me to be changed for Your kingdom and Your glory, so that I can be more like You. Amen.
