Hold On to God
Bible in a Year: Genesis 31-32; Matthew 9:18-38
I will not let you go unless you bless me. Genesis 32:26
Today's Scripture: Genesis 32:22-28
Insight
We might think the story of Jacob is about his deception. He twice cheated his brother Esau, which forced him to flee from his family (Genesis 27:41-45; 28:10). God stepped in, however, and Jacob is remembered as a pillar of faithful persistence. God met Jacob in a dream (28:12-17), a dramatic intervention that prompted him to declare, “The Lord will be my God” (v. 21). Two decades later, he still feared his brother, who’d sworn to kill him (27:41), but again God intervened (32:1). Jacob understood the significance of his first encounter with God at Bethel (28:16-19), and he understood this meeting too. “This is the camp of God!” he said (32:2). Jacob’s sins were obvious, yet his persistent faith was in the one true God. His name was changed from Jacob, the supplanter (25:26; 27:36) to Israel—one who struggled with God and overcame (32:28). Today, God will also help us be persistent in our faith as we hold on to Him.
At our school district’s championship wrestling match, children as young as eight grappled on gym mats, deploying clever holds to wrestle down their opponents and win. An ancient sport, wrestling demands a savvy combination of takedowns, escapes, pins, and other point-winning maneuvers to come out on top. One little third-grade girl—a crowd favorite—was simply faster than all her opponents, using swift moves that seemed to trick her rivals into defeat.
Jacob used tricky moves to get the best of his twin brother Esau, “wrestling” Esau out of his birthright to their father’s inheritance (Genesis 25:33) and life blessing (27:27-40). But stealing the blessing kept Jacob on the run, forcing him to flee his father’s household, depend on his cunning father-in-law, and live in fear of his brother’s wrath.
Later, he found himself alone, wrestling all night with a man who was God Himself. “Let me go,” the man told Jacob, “for it is daybreak” (32:26). But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (v. 26). Finally Jacob was seeking a blessing of his own, holding tight to God even until his name was changed to reflect his changed heart.
No tricky moves were needed to gain this rich blessing from God—only persistence. Jacob was learning to live in relationship with God. It’s a persistent and honest hold—a winning move God will reward.
Reflect & Pray
What does it mean for you to hold tight to God? How has spiritual persistence blessed you?
As I hold on to You, dear Father, please help me in my spiritual persistence.
See what Jesus had to say about persistence in prayer.