Daily Devotion, September 28, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read Genesis 32:22-30.

This week’s focus is on perseverance in prayer. This scene tells of Jacob’s perseverance in a wrestling match with God, which is what prayer feels like sometimes. The word, “rest” is in the middle of the word “wrestle”, but it feels as if there is no rest when one is wrestling with God.

“Wrestle” is a very old Hebrew word, used only this time in scripture. The other old word is Jabbok which also means wrestle. So here is Jacob wrestling with God on the edge of the “Wrestle” River!

It is a time of transition in Jacob’s life. Jacob has always been known as a deceiver. He had deceived his older brother Esau and had run away to live and work for his Uncle Laban in the far country. He lived there for 21 years. Now Jacob is returning home with all of his family to meet and to be reconciled with his brother. But he was afraid! Jacob sent his family and livestock ahead of him to go on across the Jabbok River.

Jacob was alone on what he perceived to be the safe side of the river. As verse 24 says, “So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.”

The conversation between Jacob and the one wrestling him is brief and yet powerful. Verse 27 says, “’What is your name?’ ‘Jacob,’ he answered.”

Jacob knew his name meant “deceiver” and that his ways were that of deceiving his family. Bible commentaries have said that this was Jacob’s own moment of realization of the truth about his life. He was ready for a new beginning.

God gave him a new name, Israel, which means “Let God rule your life.” God gave him a blessing and spared his life.

In times of transition and in times of trying to understand God’s direction for our lives, sometimes prayer does feel like a wrestling match. God meets us and is faithful in persevering with us toward transformation and healing.

Personal Worship Option:

In the 8th and 9th stanzas of “Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown,” for this scripture Charles Wesley writes, “Speak to my heart, in blessing speak, be conquered by my instant prayer: speak, or thou never hence shalt move, and tell me if thy name is Love. ‘Tis Love! ‘tis Love! Thou diedst for me, I hear thy whisper in my heart.”