Touched By The Divine

When my grandson Noah comes for a visit, quite often the first thing out of his mouth is, “Hey Papa, let’s wrestle!” Every believer, at some point, needs to grapple with God, too. You see, into your relationship with him you bring vestiges of your sin nature: the part of you that resists him, wants to do things your way, wants to hang on to things that are, at worst, destructive, and at best, barriers to his best for you. Sooner or later, that needs to get wrestled out of you; you’ve got to surrender it to God.

The Journey // Focus: Genesis 32: 24-25, 30-31

This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket…Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared. The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip.

When my grandson Noah comes for a visit, quite often the first thing out of his mouth is, “Hey Papa, let’s wrestle!” And I oblige him, of course. I even let him prevail, which builds his confidence and courage as a little man, and likewise, builds closeness with his adoring Papa.

Perhaps you, too, are due a wrestling match of sorts with the Almighty. Every believer, at some point in their journey of faith needs to grapple with God. You see, into your relationship with the Lord you bring vestiges of your sin nature, the part of you that resists him, that wants to do things your way, that wants to hang on to things that are, at worst, destructive, and at best, barriers to his best in your life. Sooner or later, that needs to get wrestled out of you; you’ve got to surrender that to God.

Interestingly, as Jacob tangled with God, it left a mark—a permanent one. And that was good. But here is my question for you: is there any evidence—visible, quantifiable, observable proof—that you have encountered the Lord? Has your interaction with the God who longs to interact with you left his fingerprints on your life?

Why did Jacob need to wrestle with the Lord? I am sure there were reasons we may never completely understand. Perhaps it was fear and anxiety about his future. After all, the last time he saw Esau, his brother was none to happy, and now Esau is headed toward him with a full head of steam and an army of warriors. Maybe it was guilt and remorse over his past. Jacob has cheated just about everyone he has ever had a relationship with. It could be it was your run-of-the-mill dissatisfaction over who he was in the presence of the Lord. Jacob’s name meant surplanter or deceiver, and the fact that God renames him after their encounter suggests that Jacob was in desperate need of a new identity if Jacob was to move on with God. Whatever the case, Jacob wrestled all night with God.

And at the end of the contest Jacob is different. He has a new name and a limp. God has given him a new direction, a new identity, a new heritage, but perhaps best of all, an ever-present reminder, the limp, that he now belongs to God in a deeper way. From this point on, every time Jacob takes a step, he will think back to his life-changing encounter with God. And every time someone looks at Jacob and see his uneven gait, they, too, will be reminded that there goes a man who prevailed with God.

I pray that at some point, you and I will have that kind of encounter with God; one that permanently leaves us with his distinguishing touch. May the Lord overcome us with his presence and overwhelm us in his power. And may God leave evidence of his grace and love on us, body, soul and spirit—fingerprints all over our lives that we may be continually reminded that our identity is in him, our past is under his mercy, our future is in his hands and our victory is within his guarantee. And may others know, not for our own glory, but for his, that we have been with and belong to God Almighty.

Perhaps it is time for a wrestling match with the Almighty. Maybe you are still hanging on to anxiety about your future, guilt over your past, or dissatisfaction with your identity. It may sound a little strange, but perhaps you ought to say, “Hey Papa, let’s wrestle!”

And if you are dead serious, and if God graciously obliges, don’t be surprised that you will be touched by the Divine, and come away with a limp to prove it.