And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. 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. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank. (Genesis 32:22-32)
Today's Morsel: Did you have an easy life growing up or did you come up through the ranks of hard knocks? Was your life filled with adversity and a state of misfortune and afflictions when you were growing up, or was it all a bed of roses? Life wasn't easy for Jacob. He was confused by his mother, threatened by his brother, and tricked by his father-in-law; he had to learn things the hard way. But Jacob had a determination about him. He wasn't a man willing to quit when it came to the things that he wanted, and God saw this in him. Jacob got away with some tricks at a young age in his life, as this seems to have been his operating procedure. But now we see that God is going to see just how bad he wants the blessings of God. Jacob had to wrestle with God in order to get a hold of his calling. Jacob needed some answers. When you need some answers, you may have to get into a wrestling match with God. When you wrestle with God, it's going to dislocate your self-made plans, dreams, desires, and it will probably hurt when it's all over. This match will show you a more superior power. The mark of a true man or woman of God is their spiritual walk after they've been to the mat. You might notice a limp about them if they have been in a wrestling match with God trying to get a hold of their calling. If you want to answer God's calling on your life, then you must pursue it with the same tenacity that drove Jacob to wrestle with God all night. Maturity doesn't come with age but with striving to know the Lord (Jeremiah 9:23-24; Philippians 3:10-14). When you prevail from your wrestling match, you should be able to say as Jacob, I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved.
Sing: Hold to God's unchanging hand. Hold to God's unchanging hand. Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God unchanging hand.
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