The book of Genesis has a lot of stories that exceed our imagination, and in Genesis 32 we see another story that fascinates me. Jacob was by no means perfect, like most characters in the Bible, but as my Grandpa says to me on the regular, “Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in a while.” Consider this moment in Jacob’s life an acorn!
From verse 12 to verse 32 we see this really strange exchange between Jacob and “a man” that we later find out is more than just a man. Jacob has sent his whole family across the river, and he’s all alone when all of a sudden he starts… wrestling? We find out that Jacob struggles and struggles until the break of day with God himself, and refuses to let go of God until he is blessed.
Pause for a minute. Jacob is no stranger to being blessed, and he even stole his brother’s blessing by tricking their father. Despite Jacob’s frustrating antics, you have to admire the tenacity for the blessing of God that he shows.
So Jacob is blessed by God in this moment, and God even changes his name to Israel. We’ve seen God to this before to re-affirm a blessing or a change in the nature of a person – he changed Abram to Abraham. From this point on, we don’t see the crafty, and quite frankly shady, Jacob in the story. We see a man who has himself been tricked by his uncle, who has wrestled with God, and who has learned how to humble himself as he truly seeks God. This acorn moment is one where Jacob chooses to put God before everything.
I wonder if you have things you’re wrestling with God about? I pray that you would wrestle with all your might and seek Him in your life no matter what it costs you. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44 NIV). I pray that God would continually bless you and, like Jacob, that you would learn to seek the Lord first and foremost, even as you wrestle with him. As Proverbs 3 tells us…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path’s straight. (Proverbs 3:5 NIV)
– Pastor Ryan