Wrestling With God

Remember that Jacob had a brother named Esau and= had tricked Esau out of his blessing.

Jacob had a desire for the blessings of God. Bu= t went about it the wrong way.

Remember that Jacob worked for Rachael the daugh= ter of Labon for seven years.

Laban tricks him and he marries Leah first and w= orks seven more years for Rachael.

Laban had given Jacob a hard time

Genesis 31:41-42

Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your fl= ock, and you have changed my wages ten times. Unless the God of my father, the G= od of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would ha= ve sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my h= ands, and rebuked you last night."(NKJV)

He sends word through a messenger that he is goi= ng to meet Esau his brother

Knowing that there may still be hard feeli= ngs he sends part of his flock as a gift to him to gain favor.

The messenger returns to Jacob and says Esau is willing to meet and is bringing 400 men with him.

Jacob is afraid and divides those that were with= him into two companies.

Jacob had come from a struggle---and now he̵= 7;s in a struggle

But what is God concerned about in the midst of = my struggle?

Is it my struggle or my heart that is the real issue?

Genesis 32:24

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled wi= th him until the breaking of day.(NKJV)

Jacob had sent his family ahead of him and spent= the night alone

Maybe he wanted to be alone to pray or think. Maybe he wanted = to hide.

So many times in a struggle we are left al= one---even with people around we are alone.

Could this man have initiated the conflict.=

Who does Jacob say he wrestled with?<= /span>

In verse 30 Jacob says I have seen God fac= e to face

Did God initiate the conflict or struggle?<= /o:p>

Is conflict sometimes put in our path to g= et us to yield?

Not especially to the conflict but to God Himself.

Genesis 32:25

Now when He saw that He did not prevail against = him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.(NKJV)

He had the power to disable Jacob at any time he wanted---why did he wait?

Maybe the struggle was necessary for the spiritu= al growth of Jacob.

Sometimes we get in a struggle with God in regar= d to the only thing we really possess. <= u>(((Our will)))

Sometimes I believe God initiates the conflict.<= o:p>

We are in this constant struggle with God in reg= ard to the surrender of our will.

Jacob was used to struggles but he was not completely the Lords.

Did God provoke this crisis to bri= ng Jacob to a point of genuine faith?

I have always viewed this story about Jacob as J= acob having persistence in obtaining the blessing.

But let’s look at Jacob’s heart.

In my constant struggle after struggle after struggle am I really struggling with God in the submission of my will?=

God did not just want Jacob’s worship but = his total heart.

Proverbs 3:11

My son, do not despise the chastening of the LOR= D, Nor detest His correction;(NKJV)

Does God bring correction to those He loves? Yes!=

Hebrews 12:11

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit= of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.(NKJV)=

Is it possible that God would allow things in my path to bring correction---to initiate the full submission of my will?=

Genesis 32:26-27

And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob."(NKJV)

A crisis forces us to get in touch with our <= u>real feelings and our true faith.

I believe God provoked this crisis to bring Jaco= b to a point of genuine faith.

When Jacob calls out for a blessing from God, the wall had been broken through.

So He said to him, "What is your name?

Why did He ask for his name-----He knew his name = was Jacob?

The last time he had asked for a blessing<= /u>, the question had come from his earthly father. Isaac said who are you my so= n (Gen 27:18)=

What did Jacob say <= span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'> I am Esau.

Jacob had run for twenty years.

Was God asking Jacob his name so t= hat he would come to grips with who he really was?

When we really acknowledge who we = are before God, He can change our name.

In struggles we can give up or look up.

God I am struggling----I am not prevailing----I = ask and hold on to the blessing

Jacob had struggles with Labon.---Jacob was abou= t to confront Esau.

The greatest battle was the one being waged in <= b>his heart.

Who will be in charge? = Is it my will or God’s?

Even though I say God is my sufficiency, do I re= ally live it out?

In what part of my life to I try to make it happ= en myself?

Some may want God’s blessing but not want God’s ownership of their lives.

God bail me out in the hard times, but I c= an’t submit to you in my living.

What will it take to break your will?=

Struggles will hopefully get us to see that the = greatest need is not for deliverance form the hard times, but deliverance fr= om ourselves.

Sometimes deliverance is necessary from the enemy ---Affliction made possible by our own actions.

Even though we resist God He still pursues us.

Is God wrestling with us over the basic element = of our self-will?

Jacob’s struggle lasted all night----our s= truggle can last a life time.

Genesis 32:28

And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."(NKJV)

God changes his name.

He takes away the dishonorable part of his histo= ry.

How do you struggle with God and prevail?

By submission to His ways and instruction

By submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

By trusting Him completely not partially.

By acknowledging Him as my total source.

By realizing that He has the way and I don’= ;t

By realizing that it’s futile to hold on t= o my own self will

Self-will is selfish by nature=

Submission to God is the hardest of tasks<= /u> but the most necessary.

Jesus said in the garden ---not my will but your will be done.

Jesus had a will contrary to the Father. ----So do we

We submit to God out of love and adoration for Him---any any other reason we will be unhappy in our submission<= /span>

In true submission of our will we open every compartment of our heart

We unlock every chamber and give the key to God.

Submission frees the will from the bondage= of sin.

Drawing back from God’s will stops the fullness of blessing He want to send.

Psalm 37:5

Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, = And He shall bring it to pass. (NKJV)

Commit in the Hebrew means to roll away---We relinquish control

There is weariness in struggling.<= o:p>

When you hold to the Lord with everything you ha= ve and cry out in faith

(BLESS ME) something happens.