We all have areas of our lives that God desirer us to change or correct so we can be more like Him or align to His purpose for our lives. We tell ourselves that we can deal with that later, and then conveniently forget about it. This is not an excuse just reality, sometimes it is hard to change.

In the bible Issac and Rebekah had two sons, Esau and Jacob were twin brothers and had some sibling rivalry. Esau was the oldest and had the rights at the firstborn. Jacob convinced Esau to sell his birthright for a cup of stew (Genesis 25:29-34) and Esau agreed.

Later in Genesis Issac, was dying and wanted to give Esau the blessing of his birthright. When Rebekah overheard Issac was going to bless Esau she had Jacob impersonate his brother to get the blessing off the firstborn, which Esau gave to Jacob for a bowl of stew.

After Jacob received the blessing the Esau was upset and wanted to harm Jacob. Rebekah instructed Jacob to run-away to her brother Laban’s house until Esau rath has subsided. So Jacob ran away even thou he had a right to the blessing.

“Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭27:43-44‬ ESV

While Jacob was at his uncle’s house he fell in love with one of his daughters and wanted to marrier her. Jacob agreed to work for Laban for seven years. After seven years Laban tricked him and he married the oldest daughter instead. Jacob agreed to work another seven years for his first love, and Laban allowed him to marry her also. Then when Jacob wanted to leave and move back to his family Laban would not let him move with his daughters. So Jacob ran-away again even thou he received his wives and livestock by God’s design.

We see that Jacob had a tendency to run away from his issues instead of dealing with confrontation. He is heading back to his father’s land, that was given to him through the father’s blessing. Jacob feared his brother, so he divided his family into two camps so that he might not lose everything. Once all were in their camps Jacob was alone and God in the form of a man wrestled with Him.

When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

Genesis 32:25-28 ESV

In the process of wrestling with God, God put Jacob’s hip out so he could not run anymore but had to face the issues. Many my say God does not put infirmity on people, but I just read that Jacob’s hip was put out by a being that had the power to change his name. In verse 28 it says “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

God wants us to face our issues with the same boldness and tenacity that both God and man will notice. That you have the power to wrestle with the situation and not let it go until you see a change.

We wrestle with prayer, we are not trying to change God’s mind on the situation but aligning our self to His desirers, Jacob’s mother was told that the older, Esau, would sever the younger, Jacob before she had even delivered them.

And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

Genesis 25:23 ESV

APPLICATION

• Ask God what His desirer for your life, so you can align with it
• Ask God what you have been running away from
• Boldly face what God is showing you