And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved (Genesis 32:24-30).
Today's Morsel: How strong is your grip on God? Paul said that we should stand fast in the liberty where in Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Jacob needed an answer from God of His promise to him. And so he was left alone with a man until the breaking of the day. What we find is that Jacob had a hold on the man while the man was trying to get loose from him. Jacob knew that this man had the answer he needed, and so he wasn't about to let him go until he was blessed. Do you need a blessing today? Well, how strong is your hold on God? Will you let Him go when it hurts you? Will you let Him go when the situation gets worse than when it was before you took hold of Him? Jacob not only had fear, but now his hip is jerked out of its socket. Jacob is in much pain, but he holds on until the breaking of the day. As the psalmist said, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalms 30:5). When the man changes Jacob's name from Jacob to Israel, he tells him, "For as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." In other words, the same way as a prince has power as the son of a king, Jacob now had the same power with God because he did not let go when it hurt him most. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and we are His sons. Princes. Therefore, as long as we hold on and don't let go, we will maintain power with Him and with man, and we will always prevail in any situations and circumstances that we may encounter.
Sing: Hold to God's unchanging hand. Hold to God's unchanging hand. Build your hope on things eternal, hold to God's unchanging hand.
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