Jacob, Who Wrestled With God

I think it is safe to say that most of us have never wrestled with an angel of God in physical form. Maybe others have, but suffice it to say that only happens once in a blue moon.

Can you imagine the strength of Jacob? He kept an angel locked in a stalemate all night. Was Jacob like a modern day gold medal Olympic wrestler?

Needless to say, Jacob was not physically or mentally weak. But God wanted to demonstrate that while we can persist and stretch the limits of our human abilities, He still is more powerful than we are. When the angel saw he couldn’t physically overpower Jacob, the angel injured his hip. Despite the pain, Jacob wouldn’t let go until God blessed him. So he blessed him and changed his name to Israel. 

What if we relied on His power to push through the pain of life, hanging on for God’s blessing in this or the next life? What if we often give up right before our breakthrough?