"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 ... 27.) The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered." (Genesis 32:24-27)
Everyone God ever uses has a Jacob experience where you are brought to the end of yourself and have to face up to who you really are.
Jacob was forced to tell the angel his name. The meaning of names, in Biblical days, was of great importance. When Jacob told the angel what his name was, he was not only telling him who he was, he was revealing to him what he was, his character as well ... because Jacob, in Hebrew, means deceiver, and that's what Jacob had been.
After Jacob came face to face with the Lord, his walk was forever changed. (vs. 25) He now walked with a pronounced limp. This was something people couldn't help but notice. His walk was harder, not easier after his encounter with God. But, he was forever blessed because of it. (vs. 28-29)
In my struggling and wrestling’s with the Lord (where He forces me to look at myself spiritually, and see exactly who I am, what I am), often, what’s revealed to me isn't very pretty and I, too, may leave His presence (like Jacob) limping; my walk forever changed. Yet, somehow, I'm stronger and closer to my King.
© 2005 by Dot McGinnis http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeavenlyInspirations-originalwritings/
Pulled to Safety
"With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished. When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them." Genesis 19:15-16
God's Chosen Vessel
"The earth trembles under an unloved woman..."Proverbs 30:21-23
The Spiritual Journey of Hannah: Finding Peace at Shiloh
In the biblical narrative of 1 Samuel 1:1-28, we encounter Hannah, a woman who faced profound emotional turmoil due to her barrenness. Despite her husband Elkanah's love and the double portion he offered her, Hannah's heart ached for a child. Her rival, Peninnah, exacerbated this pain with constant taunts, especially during their pilgrimages to Shiloh—a place meant to be a sanctuary of rest. Yet, it was in this very place of worship that Hannah's despair transformed into hope through her fervent prayers and a vow to God. Her story culminates in the birth of Samuel, a testament to the power of faith and the divine response to human suffering.
