“No no no, this cannot be happening…”

“Why and what I am going to do now….?”

“Wait, so what is next, God please why, how, this is too much….”

“I just can’t do it, it is impossible, way too difficult,  what am I even thinking, let me just forget about it….”

“I will just have to deal with the consequences, I did the wrong thing and now I must deal with it, it is all my fault, yes yes, only if I had known better,  but God I can’t please help”

This is too painful, why do I feel so much pain and hurt…how and why, what am I going to do now

I am confused, I am lost, should I do this.. or do that… no. no, no. what do I do how, why , what is this?

Does any of these statements sound familiar, and I can go on and on and on about the wrestle we have within ourselves.

Wrestling is a struggle with a strong opposing force. Often times, we think wrestling only occurs when two individuals are fighting but the reality is, the wrestle in life is often within an individual. Daily most people are wrestling within themselves. In this wrestle, it is with the challenging issues we face in life, our convictions, temptations, pains, hurts and forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12).

²⁴ Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. ²⁶ Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob 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 the man^[a] said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,^[b] for you have striven with God and with humans,^[c] and have prevailed. – Genesis 32:24-28

Hello Beloved of Christ, in today’s devotion, the Lord wants to draw our hearts and minds to the word of God in Genesis 32 about the life of Jacob. The life of Jacob could be one that we can all learn good life lessons from. The verse today, we will focus on how Jacob dealt with his wrestle within himself.

The Wrestle with men

Our first encounter with Jacob is the 25th chapter in the book of Genesis. This was a time that he is in the womb. From the first encounter with this man, he is found in a wrestle with his brother. Jacob wrestles with his brother Esau in the womb to come out as the first child but does not happen. Jacob gives up not his struggle to be the first child. He uses his cunning ways to convince his brother to trade his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup. Jacob succeeded to trick his father to bless him with the first’s son’s blessings and runs away to his uncle Laban in Haran. During his stay in Haran, Jacob struggles with his Uncle when it came to his marriage to his daughters and the flock of animals he came to own. As we can see Jacob seemed to be wrestling all throughout his life and now He is tired of being that person who keeps fighting.

For some of us, we can relate to the life of Jacob that we have been a constant battle with everything. At times, we feel like earning that position or getting that possession will just make things better but we gain all of these possessions and still remain empty and sad.

The Wrestle with God

Jacob had wrestled with men all throughout and at last, he was starting to have his divine transformation of becoming a changed man. On his way to meet his brother, Jacob starts seeing angels, (Genesis 24:1), he starts praying and talking to himself. Jacob is having his final wrestle now not with men but with God within himself. Jacob cannot seem to define who he has become now, he does not like who is known to be by others (He is perceived as the deceiver). Jacob is tired of being all that he has been. When Jacob was alone, when no one was there, he wrestled with God, he wrestled for his redemption, he wrestled to be set free from the past, he wrestled to overcome strongholds that set him back to being who he does not want to be. In that night of wrestling, Jacob prevailed and overcame the hold of darkness over his life and took his rightful place as a man of God.

At times, we can also find ourselves in the same place as Jacob. We want to liberated from our past we want to become a new person to live our lives for Christ Jesus. Beloved, please have this word grounded in your heart that God is always with us (Hebrews 13:5).  God’s word promises that He is always with us and so in times when you go through a wrestle, remember that you are not alone. Beloved in Christ, today God is inviting you to lay your battles or struggles at His feet. Let go the wrestle within and allow Christ renew you for His glory. To God be the glory we are all made anew in Christ Jesus, our sins and past can no longer condemn us, we have God to help us at all times and with that we do not have to suffer alone.

I pray today for anyone who may be wrestling with him or herself and do not know what to do. It is my prayer that God reveals Himself to you as He did to Jacob and that you receive the grace of God to live victoriously to the glory of Christ Jesus. Amen!

Stay blessed and always know that Jesus loves you dearly. 🙂 ❤