"Oh look!" I exclaimed. "What's that juvenile robin doing back at the nest?" We had watched it fledge three weeks earlier, and fledglings aren't supposed to return. Yet this one did. The reason soon became obvious: Papa was there, and Junior wanted a handout. It pestered and squawked, as if pleading, "Papa, feed me. It's your job!" But Papa was preparing the nest for the next brood and had neither time nor treats for this persistent fellow. Moments later, I witnessed an unusual scene. Papa and Junior were locked in a feisty wrestling match which took them both down to the ground.

That episode reminded me of an unusual wrestling match recorded in Genesis 32. Perhaps, you remember how Jacob stole his brother Esau's birthright through deceptive trickery and fled to escape Esau's wrath. Twenty years later, as Jacob headed home with his family and livestock, bad news arrived that Esau was approaching with an army of 400 men. Surely Esau was coming for vengeance, and this time, no clever strategy would help. In desperation, Jacob cried out to God, "Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau." (Genesis 32:11a NIV)

That night, Jacob found himself wrestling with a man. Not till morning did Jacob realize that the man was actually God. Then, it dawned on Jacob that this man could have instantly overpowered him. He won only through God's merciful kindness. Jacob's hip was dislocated, but he had received God's blessing.

Jacob began the night believing that his greatest need was to escape from Esau. He ended the night believing that his greatest need was the blessing of God's promise. Jacob had persevered for the blessing. The next day, Jacob, utterly exhausted, limped toward Esau and his 400 men. Jacob probably looked pathetic. But he was a new man, for he possessed all that he truly needed.

We will have comparable experiences in our own faith journeys. At first, we simply want God to get us through our critical moment or our crisis. We utter desperate prayers; we fret; we toss and turn all night. We eventually realize that God has wrestled us to the ground, to the point where all that we want now is His blessing. Through the trial, we find ourselves depleted, weakened, and disadvantaged. Our arms hang limp. To others, we may appear weak, pathetic, and stripped of our credibility. But a new strength emerges within. We can walk calmly through our crisis moments feeling overshadowed with restful peace. We've learned to persevere with God.

What have we been wrestling over? It is God's satisfying blessings promised through His Son. It's been worth losing what we thought that we needed, to gain what we truly needed.

James 1:12 – Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (NIV)

Prayer: Lord, help us recognize Your ways of engaging us to persevere for Your blessing. Amen.

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About the author:

Diane Eaton <dianeeaton6@gmail.com>
Paisley, Ontario, Canada
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