Wrestling with God, Pt. 2

So here is Jacob, wrestling for what must seem like his very life, all night long. This would prove out to be true enough, as his life would be changed forever in this nighttime encounter.

God, in the form of the angel, tells Jacob to let him go, but he refuses, not until he receives a blessing. I can almost see God grin as he tells Jacob that he will no longer be a deceiver, but now he would be called Israel, a prince with God. He had prevailed with God. The Almighty makes sure that Jacob realizes, too, that at any time God could have “taken him,” by merely touching his hip and throwing it out of joint, leaving Israel with a limp for the rest of his life. This was a reminder that God had met him, blessed him and that he no longer had to be who he had been. What God had done in him over the long years at Laban’s house would not be in vain, but they pointed him to a true Father, the same One who had been the God of Isaac and Abraham.

Laban had been a “father-in-law.” No offense to father-in-laws, as one day I will also probably be one, but a father-in-law is still not your father. Many people are fathers in the church world, and there is much talk and teaching about it right now. But I believe that the Lord is challenging the church not to allow their fathering to be done “in-law” (control and manipulation), but to let their fathering point the children (spiritual and otherwise) toward the true Father of us all. Laban was an example to Jacob of who God was not. God was not holding out anything from him. God did not take advantage of Jacob’s skills and talents. God had given them to him, and He took pleasure in watching Jacob develop in them.

But now, after leaving his “father-in-law,” he found himself encountering the presence of God in a new way this time. Then it was in vision with angels going up and down, but now it was God in a personal form, challenging Jacob to wrestle him for his destiny, for his future.

Have you left Laban’s house in this journey? Are you in a period of wrestling with God for your destiny? I believe I am and would love to hear your story if you would like to share. Leave a comment or email me. This is a year of wrestling with God. The good thing to know is that though God could “snap us like twig,” He does not, because He loves to wrestle, to work in us and with us to develop our trust in Him, that we can find and have our destiny. My walk will be different soon. You may even see a slight limp in my step, but I will glory in the wound left by the One who loves me and calls me His own.