A day before Jacob's brother, Esau, arrived at his location, Jacob prepared 550 animals as a gift, such as goats, rams, camels, bulls, and donkeys. And he divided them into three groups and put distances between them and put them in front of him. Jacob's idea was that before Esau would get to him, he would see his gifts, and it would soften his heart and make peace with him. Although Jacob prayed to God, he still doubted that God would answer his prayer. So that night, he could not sleep because he was very worried about meeting Esau the following day. He led his two wives and children across a brook and camped there, but he stayed alone behind them.
While he was alone, there was a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he couldn't wrestle Jacob down, he deliberately touched Jacob's hip and dislocated it. The man told Jacob to let him go, but Jacob didn't want to let go until the man blessed him. Jacob knew that he was wrestling with God. (God came in the form of a man. God usually did this in the Old Testament to interact or be with His people). Although God could easily wrestle Jacob in a submission in a split second, God allowed Jacob to wrestle with him and allowed him to prevail in the match because He was working in Jacob's heart. After God blessed him at the end of the wrestling match, God changed his name from Jacob, which means "a deceiver," to Israel, which means "he struggled with God." From that point on, Jacob limped and walked with a staff. The staff reminded him that he had to lean on God and not on his own strength and wisdom any longer. (Genesis 32:1-32).
God's goal in our lives is to work in our hearts because He is shaping us to be the people that He wants us to be. Our hearts are more important to Him than anything that we can give or do for Him. He wants us to surrender to Him and trust Him completely. God knows our problems and struggles, and He has all the solutions in the world, but God is using our situations to humble our hearts before Him and teaching us to trust Him. When we let go of the control and let God control our lives, we will be able to worship Him and have peace in the middle of the storm in our lives.
Ask yourself these questions: Have I surrendered my life to God, or do I still want to control my life? Why does God want me to surrender my life to Him and trust Him completely?
Write down all the worries that you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you that you are working in my heart. Please forgive me if I haven't completely surrendered my life or still trying to control my life. Please help me to submit my life to you and trust you because you are my God, you are the answer to life, and know what is best for me. In your name Jesus, I pray. Amen.