Wrestling with God

Genesis 32:24-25

The Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until day break.  And when he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.  Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.”  But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”  So he said to him, “What is your name?”  And he said, “Jacob.”  And he said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with man and have prevailed.”

God approaches us.  What do we do? Respond to Him like He was a mere man.  One whose intentions we would question?

Hebrews 12:10 says of our fathers,  “For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.”1

Picture a stranger, or even a friend approaching you.  They get too close and you back off, or raise your hands in protection, or even challenge them.  You raise your defenses.  You do not fully trust their intentions and maybe you don’t trust them at all.

I plead with you to see God as different.   He ALWAYS has our best interest in sight.  He ALWAYS intends good for us.  He knows our life.  He knows us better than our closest friend – even ourselves.  He made us and created us for a purpose.  He knows everything about us and made us in accordance with the purpose He has given us. He is good to us ALWAYS.  You can trust Him TOTALLY.  Trust His Word.  Trust Him in your circumstances, seemingly good or bad..

Again Hebrews 12:11 says, “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

What is our posture before God?  Let’s look at an example from Jesus’ life.

And they came to s place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.”  And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled.  And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”  And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour may pass Him by.  And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.”  Mark14:32-36

Jesus had the hardest road to follow, but He trusted His Father.  I see Him, arms spread wide before His Father - total trust - total submission - total acceptance of what the Father called Him to do. 

He did not stand in defense, nor stood in defiance.  He simply said “Thy will be done,” and followed His Father's will to the cross.  Father God does not call us to do what His Son did that day.  He went to the cross so we could have the gift of eternal life.  He does call us daily to pick up our cross. 

Is he calling you to draw near to Him.