“Jacob was left there alone. Then some Man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.” —Genesis 32:25
Since Jacob had “ripped off” Esau and fled from him twenty years ago, he wasn’t looking forward to a family reunion. Before this encounter, Jacob met a Man Who wrestled with him all night long. Jacob walked away from that wrestling match limping, and with a new name. The Wrestler said: “You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed” (32:29).
Prayer: Father, may I wrestle with unresolved conflicts in my heart until I am under Your will.
Promise: “Jacob named the place Peniel, ‘Because I have seen God face to face,’ he said, ‘yet my life has been spared.’ ” —32:31