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Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" Genesis 32:25-26
Today’s passage is part of an account in which the patriarch Jacob became involved in an extended wrestling match with…God! It sounds odd to think of a mere man wrestling with the Almighty. Certainly, the Creator of the universe could not only have ended such an encounter in an instant, but with a thought. However, your Father in heaven had a lesson to teach Jacob—and you, too.
God wanted to bless Jacob, but He also wanted him to understand that prayer isn’t always easy, that it means persistent, sometimes painful, times of pleading with God until he receives an answer.
If you’ve ever suffered through a dislocated joint, then you have some understanding of what Jacob went through in that hour before dawn. A dislocated toe or finger can be agonizing enough, but just think of the pain Jacob felt when God dislocated his hip!
When a nearly incapacitated Jacob still refused to let his God go that night, he set an example for believers to follow. Prayer hurts sometimes, but in the midst of your pain, you should keep praying and cling to your God with everything you have.
Today’s passage is part of an account in which the patriarch Jacob became involved in an extended wrestling match with…God! It sounds odd to think of a mere man wrestling with the Almighty. Certainly, the Creator of the universe could not only have ended such an encounter in an instant, but with a thought. However, your Father in heaven had a lesson to teach Jacob—and you, too.
God wanted to bless Jacob, but He also wanted him to understand that prayer isn’t always easy, that it means persistent, sometimes painful, times of pleading with God until he receives an answer.
If you’ve ever suffered through a dislocated joint, then you have some understanding of what Jacob went through in that hour before dawn. A dislocated toe or finger can be agonizing enough, but just think of the pain Jacob felt when God dislocated his hip!
When a nearly incapacitated Jacob still refused to let his God go that night, he set an example for believers to follow. Prayer hurts sometimes, but in the midst of your pain, you should keep praying and cling to your God with everything you have.