Wrestling with God in Every Season

Then the man said to Jacob, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."  (Genesis 32:26)

Twenty years earlier, Jacob along with the help of his mother Rebekah deceived his father Isaac into blessing him taking away his twin brother Esau's blessings and birthright. Esau was livid and plotted to take his brother Jacob's life. But Rebekah, their mom got word of what her son Esau planned to do and convinced her husband Isaac to send Jacob away to her brother Laban so he could find a wife amongst their people and to give Esau time to calm down.

A fugitive on the run, Jacob meets Rachel, the woman he wants to marry. But Laban, Rachel's father, tells Jacob that he will give him his daughter to marry but first he needs seven years of labor. Jacob worked in Laban's fields, multiplied his flocks, and increased Laban's riches. But Laban deceived Jacob and gave his eldest daughter Leah to marry instead. So Jacob worked another seven years in order to marry Rachel.

Jacob also increased in wealth, cattle, and servants but Laban and his sons were not happy about his wealth because they felt he built his wealth at their expense. Jacob had tricked Laban by producing for Laban an abundance of weaker animals. Jacob sensed that Laban was not happy with him so Jacob secretly packed up his two wives, children, cattle, servants, and all that he had to make his way back to his homeland in hopes to reconcile with his twin brother Esau.

And now the day had arrived, Jacob would come face to face with Esau. Fearing the worst he sent everyone ahead of him in hopes his brother would have mercy on him and his family. Now, Jacob was left alone to review all of his mistakes he had made that brought him to this place and at midnight he found himself wrestling with a man till daybreak but when the man saw that Jacob was not giving up, he struck the socket of Jacob's hip and dislocated it as they wrestled. Then the man said to Jacob, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered, Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed."  Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed Jacob there. So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, "Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared." And Jacob walked away limping. (Genesis 27-32)

Jacob was a liar, trickster, and a thief, yet God blesses this deceiver. God blesses him because Jacob is honest about who he really is. Jacob knows that his actions alone has brought him to this place fearing the worst of what Esau or Laban or anyone he had hoodwink would do. Jacob said, No, I will not let you go Lord unless you bless me. God, I am willing to wrestle with you all night, I am willing to wrestle with you all night with this broken hip, I am willing to wrestle with you all night to humble myself, I am willing to wrestle with you all night to change my story, I am willing to wrestle with you all night to change who I am because if I'm holding on to you Jesus no matter where I am, you will be there because I will not let you go. I am willing to wrestle with God!

I will not let you go, unless you bless me, reminds me of this beautiful song, Till You Bless Me written by Daniel Kisukika and Crighton Goodwill and performed by Daniel Kisukika, "I've been hiding from mistakes I've made, I've tried to run away from what I've done, the enemy I made won't let me rest, no one can meet you and stay the same, you are no man that should ever lie, you're the way, the truth, and life, as I wrestle with you through the night, I won't let you go, till you change my name, renew my mind, give me hope, till you bless my life, then I'll let you go."

I won't let you go unless you change my name, "To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it." (Revelation 2:17)

I won't let you go unless you change my character and renew my mind, "To put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, instead, let the Spirit of God renew your thoughts and attitudes and put on a new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24)

I won't let you go unless you heal me, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalm 103:2-5)

I won't let you go unless you cleanse me, "Create in me a clean and  pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me, but restore to me the joy of my salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit." (Psalm 51:10-12)

I won't let you go unless you bless me, "May the Lord bless you, keep you, and protect you, may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious unto you, may the Lord turn his face to you and you are looking at God face to face so our Abba can give you his peace, his goodness, his mercy, his kindness, his love, his faithfulness, his patience, his cleansing, his healing, his restoration, and all his blessings upon you." (Numbers 6:24-26)

I pray that you wrestle with God and don't let him go unless he blesses you in every season! Now, back to my season business unless Jesus bids me to come and post another message!