Devotional
Life Lessons from Jacob
There are certain times in our lives where struggling with God feels like it is par for the course. In a world that seems to demonstrate waning faith every day, doubt seems to be the name of the game. We doubt our public officials, we doubt our elders, we doubt what is said on the news, and, if we’re being honest with ourselves, we doubt God. When everything else is being called into question in our lives, what is to stop us from questioning those truths we hold most deeply in our hearts?
The words of Christ, God’s commandments, and grace that once seemed so tangible can lose their realness in a world full of questions, struggles, and uncertainty.
With this in mind, I’ve always been taken by this story of Jacob having his name changed. Jacob was not what many would call a “good person.” He was a liar and a con man, but he was promised by God to be the father of many descendants, the leader of God’s people. As he grew, he began show reverence to God in spite of his actions.
Thus, God renames him “Israel,” which is commonly understood to mean “he who wrestles with God.”
Biblical characters are rarely moral exemplars. Jacob was a truly flawed man, but he was also loved by God as much as He loves any of us. As much as we may doubt or miss the mark or “wrestle” with God, He is still there for us, and He blesses us. It is this grace, this reality of God’s love that should leave us all in awe and direct our struggles and our striving –– even in spite of our doubts.
As much as we may hurt or we may sin, God will not give up on us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we are tempted by doubt, thronged by struggles, and muddled in sin, remind us that as much as we struggle and doubt Your grace, You never depart from us.
You are strong enough to hold us in our wrestling. Give us the strength to keep our eyes on you, and despite of our imperfections, follow Your ways. Amen
By Max Kresock, an HPU senior and a member of the university’s Honors Scholar Program, who is majoring in English and Literature
