Jacob had such a hard life.
God chose him over his older brother, but that did not make life easier
for him. Jacob was always reaching for
more. He was always striving to advance
and get ahead. Whether it was trying to
find ways to obtain what rightfully belonged to his brother, or to scheme on
how he might obtain his father-in-laws wealth, Jacob was always wrestling,
fighting, and striving.
However, God has promised to be with Jacob and the bless him. God made a promise to him at Bethel when Jacob saw the vision of the ladder reaching into Heaven. However, Jacob still continued to wrestle and fight for everything.
What characterized Jacob was not going up and down that
ladder, but wrestling, struggling, and fighting all the time. At the fork of the Jabbok river, Jacob even
wrestled with God, the one who promised to bless him and be with him. This match lasted all night, yet Jacob was
spared, to his amazement. So, Jacob
called that place, "Peniel" (face of God). God could have simply overpowered him, but he
did not. Instead, God put Jacob's hip
out of joint so that he would walk with a limp for the rest of his life. Jacob would always remember every time he
walked.
Can an injury inflicted by God ever be a blessing? I guess when we fight against God, we may
come away with a limp as well. We may
have our own "Peniel" in life that may break us. But, perhaps this is part of the life-long
process that God uses to remake us?
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