So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. – Gen. 32:24-29
Have you ever wrestled with God? Maybe not in a literal sense, but have you ever been in a situation where you found yourself resisting His direction, His timing, or His will for your life? How did it feel? Did you find yourself exhausted, like you were in a struggle that just wouldn’t end?
The account of Jacob wrestling with a Man – later revealed to be God Himself – is both mysterious and deeply relatable. We can only imagine what this scene might’ve looked like. Was it like a barroom fight? Or did it ebb and flow like an intense wrestling match with both combatants digging deep? In any case, it was raw, real, and a battle that demanded everything Jacob had.
But notice: Jacob didn’t start the fight; God did. Jacob wasn’t chasing after God with a request or a desire to wrestle. Rather, God approached Jacob, demanding something essential. God wanted Jacob’s pride, his self-reliance, and his scheming ways stripped away. Jacob, for all his life, had been a man who relied on his own strength and cunning. Now, God was saying, “Enough! I want all of you!”
How Jacob managed to hold on through the night is a mystery. His grit and determination to keep fighting are impressive, but they’re not unlike the stubborn ways we often hold on to our own will. Sometimes, we fight so hard to control our lives, to make things work out on our own terms, and in our own timing. We resist surrender. We cling to our sense of control, completely unaware that in the grand scheme of things, our striving is no match for God.
God allowed Jacob’s struggle to go on until the decisive moment when He changed everything with a simple touch to Jacob’s hip. In an instant, Jacob was rendered powerless. Whatever strength or advantage he thought he had was gone. Defeat must have washed over him. But in that defeat, Jacob found something even greater – a desperate dependence on God. No longer able to fight, he clung to the Lord with every ounce of strength he had left. “I will not let you go unless you bless me,” he said.
This a place we would all do well to come to, loved ones… a moment where we recognize that God must conquer us. We cannot truly serve Him until we surrender. It is a paradox that only in our defeat can we experience true victory. It is only when we are at the end of ourselves that we find ourselves desperately clinging to the One who holds all the power, all the blessings, and all the grace we need.
So, if you find yourself wrestling today, know this: it’s not a sign of weakness to hold on to God with everything you’ve got. Sometimes, the best we can do is hold tight and refuse to let go until we experience the change He wants to bring. Let God conquer you. In surrendering to Him, you will find victory.
Former Blackout Artist 