We often hear someone say, "I'm wrestling with a problem," or perhaps, "I wrestled with my conscience." Most of us have wrestled with ourselves at some time. Have you ever wrestled with a difficult situation? Successfully?
Anyone caught up in a tight and grueling struggle will find Jacob's experience, described in the Bible, helpful and inspiring. Jacob had a long siege—an all-night, noholds-barred, fight-to-the-finish type of bout. Toward the end his thigh was out of joint as well. The Bible description ends when, at dawn, Jacob refused to give up unless his mysterious visitor blessed him, and his opponent asked him his name. He answered, "Jacob." The opponent then said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." Gen. 32: 27, 28;
As the winner of the struggle Jacob's reward was a "blessing" that was really his victory over fear, duplicity, greed, human will, and sensualism.
