Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 32 before reading the devotional below.
When you’ve stolen from your brother twice and completely altered the course of his life, it’s not a sure thing that he’ll be friendly when you plan your big homecoming. Jacob is nervous about going back, and he is ready to give Esau some big gifts to try to make peace. When he hears that Esau is ready to meet him on the road with a 400-man army, Jacob starts praying.
This story shows us just how fiesty and determined Jacob is. He has a strange midnight encounter with an unidentified man, who seems to be an early appearance of Jesus (God in the form of man). Jacob’s hip is dislocated but refuses to stop the wrestling match without a blessing. In the end, he gets a blessing and a new name: Israel.
Here’s your freedom for today:
God’s best is worth fighting for.
Jacob seems very eager for blessings throughout his life. It’s what drove him to cheat his brother out of his birthright and the blessing from their father, Isaac. He demands a blessing again here. Jacob clearly wants something more, and he relies on spiritual means to get it. He clearly believes in the power of God to speak into his life and make things happen. He’s willing to fight hard to get God’s best for him. What are you fighting for today? What wrestling match do you need to have with God in prayer?