A New Day, A New Identity, A New Walk

Sometimes we hit a critical juncture in our journey with God.  It may require a face to face encounter with God in a wrestling match like Jacob had. (Genesis 32:22-32)

Jacob found himself in a difficult place, poised between his disgruntled father-in-law and his brother who had wanted to kill him.  He sent forth all he owned and all he held dear. He was left alone with God in the dark of the night. It was in that difficult place alone with God that Jacob found himself in a wrestling match with God.  Functioning as he always had was not going to work in this situation.  Jacob had to prevail with God.

There are times when we must wrestle with God in the darkness of the night until the light of the new day comes forth.  Even when the light of the new day begins to dawn, we can't let go until we receive the blessing we so desperately need. We may be done wrestling and we may have little or no strength left, but we can't let go.

It is possible that his nature as Jacob (deceiver, supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler) felt like a strength to him all those years.  It had gotten him a lot of things he wanted.  Even his "success" in being Jacob was a weakness and not the strength it may have felt like.  Jacob had to acknowledge who he was when he was asked, "What is your name?"  He had to acknowledge that he had indeed been a deceiver, supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler. That confession was necessary in order to receive his new name.  He now had a new identity as Israel, a prince with God or one who has power with God or one who prevails with God. In God's book Jacob was always meant to be Israel.  

To be given a new name/identity/nature and be changed in the encounter, we must first realize who we have been. We must confess it before God and let Him change us into who we really are.  We can be changed when we recognize and confess who we really have been.  God touches that place in us that we have relied on as a strength.  Then He can be our strength. 

Jacob walked away with a limp because of his hip being put out of joint. We also leave the wrestling match with what had been the strongest part put out of joint.  We walk away with a limp that requires a new dependence on the Lord, a dependence upon His strength and not our own.  We never walk the same again.

The scripture says that God "blessed him there."  Not sure if the blessing was the new identity,  the limp of a new dependence on God, or something else.  But Jacob did come away from that encounter into a new day, with a new identity, and a new walk.