God blessed Jacob in the very place He disabled him

Pastor-Teacher
John Farley
Wednesday,
November 25, 2009

God blessed Jacob in the very place He disabled him

Paul’s new name was a sign of his personal sense of destiny.

It is not until Jacob is left alone with the Lord that his name is changed to Israel, a “prince with God.”

However, the Lord is going to intervene and reveal some very serious problems that Jacob has.

He must be stripped of his own strength, and even given a permanent limp.

The Lord desired to break his strength in order to perfect divine power in this man’s weakness.

PHI 3:3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

1. Jacob’s experience with the Wrestler teaches us if we are going to live in our personal sense of destiny, we must be fully convinced that the flesh is worthless and helpless.

PHI 3:3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

1. Jacob’s experience with the Wrestler teaches us if we are going to live in our personal sense of destiny, we must be fully convinced that the flesh is worthless and helpless.

2. Part of our preparation for living in our personal sense of destiny will involve times when we are alone with God and He can reveal to us our nothingness without Him.

3. The fact that the wrestling match lasted all night shows the patience that God has with us as He slowly but firmly deals with our human nature.

4. Many times the thing that hinders believers from living in their personal sense of destiny is not their weakness but rather the strong side of their old sin nature.

5. The dislocation of Jacob’s thigh is the turning point in this wrestling contest. This indicates the transition in Jacob’s life and character from reliance upon self to reliance upon God.

6. Jacob could not become “Israel”, a prince with God, until he had been broken of his dependence on himself. If we want to live in our personal sense of destiny, we too must be stripped of our self-sufficiency and depend on the power of God in our lives.

7. If we insist on having our own way, and don’t let the Lord prevail against us, the Lord will take some severe measures to put our area of strength permanently out of joint. Then the only way forward is to give in and hold on to Him.

By now Jacob is keenly aware that this is no ordinary man that he has been locked in combat against.

This Person had the power to bless Jacob, and Jacob really wanted the blessing!

Jacob is no longer fighting. He is just holding on to this Person.

And we are to exhibit this same tenacity in our prayer life as believer priests in union with this divine Wrestler!

ROM 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

HEB 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. -KJV

And once he gets the security of receiving the blessing directly from the Lord, Jacob is freed up from the insecurities he carried with him about his brother Esau.

The insecurity of our relationship with people is overcome by the security of our relationship with the Lord.

Once you come to the end of your rope, hang on tenaciously to the Lord and don’t let go until He blesses you!

Jacob won the victory not by fighting and struggling, but by surrendering and giving in to the Spirit of God.

What looks like defeat to the world can be an incredible blessing from God.

Ultimate case in point: our Lord at the cross.

God is often compelled to steer us into a situation of absolute helplessness before our faith will take hold of His might.

God graciously deals with each of His children according to their need, circumstance, and nature.

Note that God blessed Jacob in the very place that He disabled him.

Then He pours His power into you and it comes out the same opening to bless others.

Neither human failure nor human success is the issue. The issue is: whose power are you using?

God is only glorified when you use the power that He supplies!