Things were very dynamic for Jacob. After a heated interchange with Laban, Jacob came to terms and was able to go home without looking back in fear. Once free from Laban, Jacob met up with angels–a pretty good way to know God was with him.
Next, Jacob sent a messenger to his brother; letting Esau know he was coming back. Jacob was told Esau was coming back with 400 men…That did not sound hopeful.
As Jacob prepared for what was next by dividing his camps and saying goodbye to His family, he was wrestling with the reality of where his life had come.
As he sat alone, Jacob wrestled with God until daybreak. Finally God injured Jacob’s hip to end the bout. Jacob only stopped at the promise of an additional blessing. This was a blessing that God was happy to provide. God said, you are no longer deceiver, You are now Israel. God’s blessing was an entirely new Name–Overcomer. God recognised to Jacob that he had seen the change. He blessed Jacob with the knowledge that his transformation did not go unnoticed.
In our lives, we wrestle with so many things. Careers, family, illness, provision, focus on God. Sometimes, it is absolutely overwhelming, and we feel like there are no answers. Then, in the midst of our solitude and loneliness, we realize the wrestling match we are having is one for control of our lives. Is it us or is it God? When we finally surrender that control, God is able to bless us and work in us to change us. We become His workmanship. When that happens, he is able to face our trials with us and assist us in overcoming them.
We simply need to trust and follow God. Then we can take notice of all the ways the Lord meets us where we are, and leads us through the Amazing Journey.
God Bless You
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 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. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[h] and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.
Walking With God 
It reminds me of this hymn: trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey, we often try to fix things ourselves when we are supposed to lean on God, may God help us to trust him. Amen
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