Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “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 humans and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:26-28)
People are funny aren’t they.
Your older brother who you stole from scares the living daylights out of you. The dread of his coming has you putting everyone else before you in the hope of chilling him out. You would put the lives of your children and wives ahead of yours, such is your sheer sense of fear.
A man in the night comes up for a wrestle, though, and you’re up for the challenge. You wrestle all night for as long as it takes. Doggedly hanging on against all the odds and not giving up until he’s crippled by this man. There is something of the fearless in you that you won’t let go until you get the blessing from this man.
What is it about people that can make them fearful one minute and fearless the next? What is it about that sense of self-sufficiency we pride ourselves on and then the realisation that we will need more than that to make it through?
Whatever the case, it’s worth learning again from Jacob on this issue. That when we doggedly hold onto faith even in the midnight hour of life at our most fearful, there is much to be gained from the experience. The name change for Jacob was hugely significant. The blessing we may receive from holding onto faith may also make the significant difference in our lives.
That can happen even when people are being funny.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 