Beautiful Word Devotional #118

Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.

Genesis 32:28

It can be easy to think that the heroes of the faith never did anything wrong and never questioned God. A look at Jacob’s life shows us otherwise. He was a conniver and a deceiver; he didn’t always honor God with his life. And in Genesis 32 he wrestled with God all night long.

Such wrestling with God shouldn’t surprise us. Jacob is human, and questioning is human. Having questions about your faith—wrestling with God over certain issues—doesn’t deny you the privilege of being in his presence. On the contrary, wrestling with God actually means you care enough about your relationship with him that you’ll engage him. Besides, God is not shaken by your questions.

Whether you wrestle with him often or easily nestle into his presence, God welcomes you with open arms.

Lord, thank you that you will wrestle with me so I can know you better. Amen.