Thanks for the Limp
“Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. And when he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
“Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.’ But he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ So he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ And he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.’
“Then Jacob asked him and said, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And he blessed him there. So Jacob named the place Peniel [face of God], for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.’ Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh.” Genesis 32:24-31
Most all of us have wrestled with God, sometimes over a loved one who is ill or we wrestle with God because we are in pain, our lives are in disarray or despair. And we can be thankful for the ‘scars’ we are left with from those wrestling matches ---such as the limp that Jacob was left with. That forever limp was a result of his persistence a quality that builds because strong character from struggling under tough conditions without giving up.
The blessing came to Jacob when God gave him a new name (remember Jacob’s birth name meant supplanter or ambitious deceiver, because he stole the birthright of his brother Essau – Genesis 25:19-26). The new name was Israel…and it means the man who persistently clings to God! I pray we all persistently cling to our Heavenly Father!
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Take care with love, especially His, from Darlene, who still prays for you each day.
PS: You can also find the devotions on line/ on your mobile phone here: www.weakdaydevotion.com .
NOTES: I choose to believe the Bible because it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They reported supernatural events that took place before, of specific prophecies; and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.
The Five Solas: Individuals are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, as revealed by Scripture alone to the glory of God alone!
Find my full statement of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (where you will also find a series of Bible studies). For the books, go to Amazon books. For prayer requests/ updates, email: darlenerichard@gmail.com