FEAST: 30 Days of Real Truth for Real LifeSample

Day 15: Jacob—Struggle

Snack

1. Conviction wrestles for God’s blessing, even when it costs.
2. God shapes our character in the struggle, not apart from it.
3. When God marks us, we walk differently from that day on.

Appetiser

Have you ever wrestled with God in prayer, desperate for Him to answer?

Main Course

Jacob’s life was marked by striving. From grasping his brother’s heel at birth to bargaining for Esau’s birthright (Genesis 25:29-34), Jacob lived by cunning and determination. His story shows both the danger of self-reliance and the power of conviction when surrendered to God.

Years later, Jacob tricked his father Isaac into giving him the blessing meant for Esau (Genesis 27:18-29). His choices brought conflict and fear, but they also set him on a journey where God would meet him in profound ways.

The defining moment came when Jacob wrestled with a mysterious man through the night (Genesis 32:22-32). As dawn approached, Jacob refused to let go, declaring,“I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26 NIV). That determination—conviction in its rawest form—became the turning point of his life.

God touched Jacob’s hip, leaving him limping, yet also gave him a new name: Israel. Jacob’s conviction in the struggle brought both weakness and blessing. He walked away marked, but also transformed.

Later, God reaffirmed His covenant promises to Jacob, the very promises He had given to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 35:9-12). Jacob’s life reminds us that conviction is not just stubbornness - it is the willingness to hold on to God, even in weakness, until His blessing is revealed.

Conviction means refusing to let go of God’s promises, even when the struggle leaves scars. Jacob’s limp was not a sign of defeat but a testimony of encounter. Our faith journey may involve wrestling with God—in unanswered prayers, in seasons of waiting, in battles within our own hearts. But like Jacob, we are invited to hold on. To say, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.”

When God marks us in the struggle, we are never the same.