“During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions. 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. Then the Man said, ‘Let Me go, for the dawn is breaking!’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me.’ ‘What is your name?’ the Man asked. He replied, ‘Jacob.’ ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob,’ the Man told him. ‘From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.’ ‘Please tell me Your name,' Jacob said. ‘Why do you want to know My name?’ the Man replied. Then He blessed Jacob there. 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.”
Genesis 32:22-31 (NLT)
Jacob was a con man, he was a deceiver, a pretender. He always had a plan. And he thought his plan was always better than God’s plan. How does someone like that ever change? How does your life change?
God is all about changed lives. When God helps you change, He takes you through some steps. Let’s look at several potential ways God gets our attention and helps us change into His plan and purposes.
A CRISIS–OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE
Are you in a crisis today? If so, great! You are about to have the opportunity to change. God is getting ready to make a change in your life.
Your biggest battle is not: physical struggles, financial problems, or relational issues. Your biggest struggle in life is with yourself. A crisis comes into my life when I struggle with God because I want to be God. I want to be in control. Here’s the point: It is when we are surrendered, most dependent, most submitted before God that then we can be channels for God’s love and power to others and personally be transformed.
“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.”
Genesis 32:24-25 (NLT)
Jacob was alone. He hasn’t seen his brother that he swindled out his blessing and inheritance for almost 20 years. He is scared. He has been running away his whole life. Then a guy shows up and jumps him. They wrestle all night long.
Who is this? It is either God or an angel. With one touch the man dislocated Jacob’s hip. The man could have done it much earlier. It’s like God is asking: Jacob, when are you going to get it? When are you going to stop fighting Me? When are you going to realize I have a plan for you? When are you going to stop running?
Where is the place where you are needing to obey God and do what He says, though you think you have a better plan? Where is the place where you have to decide if you will trust God to handle your situation?
God uses crisis to get our attention. God loves you just like you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay that way. Some of you are in this first step.
WE ARE STUBBORN AND WON’T LET GO
“Then the Man said, ‘Let Me go, for the dawn is breaking!’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me.’” Genesis 32:26 (NLT). God could have overpowered Jacob in a second. Why did God let it go on?
When God allows a crisis in your life, He doesn’t solve it immediately. He wants to see if you really want to make a commitment, to really change.
What if God answered every one of your prayers immediately and just like you asked for? It would be a disaster. You would end up going down some bad paths, you wouldn’t develop character, no discipline, no wisdom, no persistence. God will help but not instantly. He wants you to realize He’s the One you needed all along.
REALIZATION–I AM THE PROBLEM
“‘What is your name?’ the Man asked. He replied, ‘Jacob.’ Genesis 32:27 (NLT)
This is where we admit: I’m the problem. We stop blaming other people and admit we are the problem. You have to get there or there will be no major change in your life. This is a breakthrough step.
Verse 27 has a strange question. God already knew Jacob’s name. Why is He asking? Not for God to know, but for Jacob to own up to who he really is. Jacob’s name meant–liar, deceiver, trickster. And Jacob lived up to his name his whole life. When he says: My name is Jacob–he is owning up to who he really is, he confesses.
Here’s what happens when you come to God and say: I want to own up to my failure, the wrong in my life, the pride, the dishonesty–God is not surprised. God saw your birth, He watched every moment of your life, God already knows.
LIFE CHANGE–A NEW START
“‘Your name will no longer be Jacob,’ the Man told him. ‘From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won… 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.’”
Genesis 32:28,30 (NLT)
When we follow Jesus, we’re given a new identity. Jacob got a new identity–a new name–Israel, which meant “God will rule.” There’s a whole nation named after this guy.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Cor. 5:17 (NIV). God says to you today: Beneath your failure and weakness I see someone who can be: God will rule in my life. Only Jesus Christ can make a true transformation in someone’s life. You don’t have to stay the same. It all begins with the commitment of your life to Jesus.
