Persistence

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” [Genesis 32.28]

Interestingly enough, "Israel" is said to mean "God fights."

To be called "Israel" is a mouthful!

Who would dare fight with God?

How could one ever prevail in a fight with God?

And yet, this is what Jacob did. The one who was holding his twin brother's heel at birth is now seen here refusing to let go of God.

Can you say, "persistent?"

Is it any wonder that we are told in the Bible to be persistent in our prayers? We are told to come boldly to God in prayer. We are told we are engaged in warfare. There is a common theme...

Here's a thought: Jacob wrestled with God for a blessing that was already his (according to what had already been promised to Abraham and Isaac)!

So, for us today to simply say, "may God's will be done (open-endedly)," as if to resign to negative circumstances as God's will instead of enforcing God's will by purveying it on earth as it is in heaven (even if violently), is not at all in line with what the Bible teaches.

The thing is, Jacob already knew God's will was to bless him. Jacob wrestled with God though because circumstances he was facing were telling him otherwise.

Not enough can be emphasized here about the importance of intense prayer if we are to bear out the will of God on earth as it is in heaven.

By this time that Jacob wrestled with God, God had already blessed him enormously with material wealth and family. Shouldn't Jacob have simply rested in that fact? Maybe. However, Jacob was not willing to assume anything and so he further persisted with God. In fact, it was in this further (arguably unnecessary) persistence with God that Jacob got a new name, Israel!

Man, this is deep!

Father, may I be found persistent in my prayer to You.