An arresting wrestling match - 19 March 2024

A World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) version of “Touched by an Angel” is not quite what I would have expected from an encounter with the divine. But, I love Jacob’s feistiness.

We have been looking at some of the most unflattering aspects of Jacob’s character, but that would not produce a balanced view of the man. For me, one of his most compelling characteristics is his tenacity. Once he had something in his sights, he did not give up.

He worked tirelessly for Rachel for years, because he knew what he wanted. Nothing would stand in the way of getting that birthright either. There is a trick to it though – it can be a good or bad trait depending on how one uses it.

One night, he was stuck between the rock of pursuing in-laws and the hard place of a possible confrontation with his brother, Esau. When the chance arose for a blessing from God, he knew it was the lifeline he was looking for. And like a champion, he was willing to fight for it, go all in.

I sometimes wonder about my own faith. What if I truly understood it when God said that He could do the impossible, that when I put my requests before him, I needed to be expectant? How would that fundamentally alter the outcomes I prayed for?

Furthermore, I am reminded that Jesus could not do miracles in his home town because of a lack of faith (Matthew 13:58). Another man of faith, Caleb, written about in Joshua 14 also comes to mind. He believed that Israel could prove victorious despite the “gigantic” obstacles they faced when they were sent to spy out the land God had promised them.

To be honest, if I were on that team, sadly, I may have had my reservations like the 10 other spies. “We are like grasshoppers”, they said. but, thankfully, Jacob was no grasshopper, was made of sterner stuff, had the temerity to wrestle with God and received that hard-fought blessing.

Prayer: Father God, sometimes I am mired in small thinking and my expectations and faith are seemingly even tinier than a mustard seed. Please help me to see things through a lens of faith. Amen