Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God,

It is a known fact that children love to wrestle. They will wrestle with each other, and sometimes they will wrestle with a parent. Oftentimes, they will wrestle with dad, the father and king of the house. As a child, that is fun and playful, even for dad, the biggest kid of all. Boys are prone to wrestling more than girls; however, girls can, at times, enjoy a good old-fashioned wrestling match.

Although as children we might enjoy the physical wrestling, but when we grow into adults our wrestling can turn into other things. We begin to wrestle with thoughts, decisions, and even spirituality. Our thoughts could be sinful thoughts, our decisions could be wrongful decisions from the past or things to come. Our spirituality could be whether we believe or trust God or not.

Genesis 32:22-32 is the story of Jacob wrestling with God. Jacob had struggled all his life, even in the womb of his mother (Genesis 25:21-26). He was a con artist who got conned, a liar who was lied to, a manipulator who was manipulated. When he chose to confront his brother, he learned that his brother was coming for him, and he feared the worst. He separated himself from his family to keep them safe, and the night he was separated, his sleep was restless, and he had an encounter with God, or an angel of God. Some believe it was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ (Nelson’s Commentary). During his wrestle with this “man,” he was injured with a strike to the hip, which left him with a limp. When the man realized that Jacob would not let go or be overpowered, the man struck him in the hip. Jacob refused to let him go until the man blessed him. The man gave Jacob a new name, Israel, which means “struggles with God” (Genesis 32:28). Then Jacob was blessed.

Jacob became humbled and began to trust God and depend on him for everything. Even during the loss of a son, Joseph, and during the famine in Canaan. Jacob, the grandson of Abraham,  became a father of many nations, fulfilling a promise from God to Abraham.  

Like Jacob, we wrestle with fears, doubts, and yes, even with God. It can often hurt like a blow to the hip, but when we humble ourselves and trust God and let God lead us, we will become victorious over all things we wrestle with. You do not need to allow your thoughts or decisions to bring you fears or doubts if you just give those over to God and let Him lead and guide you. It will not always be an easy walk; you may walk with a limp like Jacob, but you will always know where you can find your peace when you learn to become humble and trust God and stop wrestling with Him. Remember, Jacob had to let go before God blessed him. 

I believe that for many believers, we often wrestle with God. We struggle with the things we want or believe are good for us and do not trust in what God wants for us. We struggle against what God wants to give us and do not just rely on or depend on God. So what are you wrestling with? If it is earthly things, give them to God. If it is God, let go and be blessed.

Last week, the little lambs learned about the Lord’s Prayer. This week, we will review the Lord’s Prayer and try to memorize it to our hearts as we talk about Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and the other topics Jesus spoke about. 

I look forward to worshipping the Lord God Almighty with you tomorrow with songs of praise and dancing before the King of kings and Lord of lords. However, if I do not see you tomorrow, may the Lord bless you with an abundance of joy, peace, and love so great that your cup overflows onto others around you. May He bless you with comfort, healing, and guidance when needed.

God bless you,

Your brother in Christ

Michael (aka Mr. Michael)