Genesis 32:26 – And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Jacob’s in trouble. Having left Laban he now gets word that Esau is headed his way – Esau, his brother that had sworn to kill him years before. His meeting with God shows us that real prayer is a wrestling match, and once Jacob got a hold of the Lord he wouldn’t let Him go until he got a blessing.
It is not easy to hold on to the Lord, especially when He touches you in discipline (vs. 25). Many Christians would let go if the Lord touched them like He did Job (Job 19:21), or Jacob. But the Lord knows when to touch and where to touch – He touched him where it would cripple him! He brought Jacob to the place where he was no longer fighting, but clinging. The “breaking” comes before the “blessing.” Don’t let go!
Don’t let go when He questions you in discomfort (vs. 27). It was around twenty years earlier that Jacob had lied to his father when his father asked the same question (Gen. 27:18). Jacob now admits who he is – a deceiver. Many believers let go when the Holy Spirit asks the hard questions. They will not be honest with the Lord and themselves. It is too much and they let go. But the discomfort is only for a little while. Surgery doesn’t last forever! You will make it to recovery! Don’t let go!
Jacob was resolved to hang on even through the darkest hours (vs. 24). This was not a five minute prayer, but the sun did come up! The blessing was given. He wasn’t “Jacob” the deceiver anymore; he was now “Israel”, a prince of God!
Don’t let go! The blessing will come. Jacob never walked the same again. With every limp he was reminded of that wrestling match with God, and the brokenness that brought about the blessing.