“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” Philippians 2:12b NASB
We’d like to believe that the Christian life is an easy one, but that’s not the way I see it presented in the Bible. Life, even as a Christian, and maybe even more so, can be a battle! But that’s not to say it isn’t worth the struggle. On the contrary, anything worth obtaining is well worth fighting for! A good relationship with God has more more value, and results in more contentment than anything else we will ever pursue! We need to “work out” our salvation with fear and trembling! In other words need to press through the difficult times seeking God intensely! We can learn a lot from the tenacity of Jacob.
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Genesis 32:24-28 NIV
Jacob had lived a life of compromise and manipulation to get what he wanted. He had been so deceitful with his older brother and his father that he had to flee to another land to avoid his brothers anger and vengeance. He stayed away 20 years and during that time, God was working in Jacob’s life. When God directed Jacob to return home and face his brother, he obeyed, but was frightened. He had to work through his fear and move forward with God, but it wasn’t easy. Before he faced his brother, he had to face his God; he had to tenaciously seek God’s favor and blessing!
He wrestled all night long! Can you relate to that? Have you ever had to wrestle through something deep into the night, calling out to God and holding on with all your might? Sometimes that’s what it takes! And that’s where we find Jacob in this passage; Jacob would not give up, he would not let go! He pressed on through the pain, determined to gain God’s favor! The Bible promises that when we seek God with all our heart, we will find Him! The problem is, we rarely pursue him with all our heart.
There are 3 valuable lessons we learn from Jacob’s life:
- Our past does not need to define our future. “What is your name?,” the man asked Jacob. He must have hated answering that question, for “Jacob” means “deceiver,” and Jacob had been the master of deception. He stole his brother’s birthright and conned his dad into giving him Esau’s blessing too! What was he really asking Jacob? “Who is it that tenaciously seeks God and wants His favor and blessing?” “Who are you?,” or more appropriately, “Who have you been up to this point?” There comes a point in all of our lives when we need to answer that question and come to terms with who we are. Then we need to determine who we want to be moving forward.
- Moving forward in the right direction requires tenacity. As Jacob answered his question, I imagine his grip tightened as if to say, “I’m the deceiver, but I will not give up!” “I may not deserve Your blessing, God, but I want it more than anything, and I am willing to fight for it with everything I have!” “I will battle through the pain and hold on to you with all my strength!” Hosea adds this: In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there— the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is his name! (Hosea 12:3-5 NIV) It wasn’t easy to hold on through the pain. Jacob wept and he begged for God’s favor, and he was willing to do whatever it took to gain it. Often times we are too quick to “let go,” and as a result, we miss out on the blessing! We can fall short and never reach the level of intimacy with God that we so desperately need.
- God is all about grace! Make no mistake, no one deserves God’s favor, but some value it more than others. Those are the ones who refuse to let go! They hold onto God with all their might! It wasn’t Jacob’s strength that gained him God’s favor, it was his desire. He loves to lavish grace upon us when we pursue Him above all else! Imagine the joy Jacob felt when he heard the words, “Your name will no longer be Jacob.” “You have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome!” God redefined Jacob’s identity. He blessed Him and showed him favor!
If you find yourself wrestling with a difficult past or a fearful future, be encouraged by the life of Jacob, and tenaciously hold onto God! Seek Him with all your heart as you continue on your journey and remember what Paul told the Philippians: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 ESV