LEFT ALONE

Gen_32:24  And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

 

One thing we are made to confront when we are going through a rough patch in our life is that not everyone who promised to stick by you will. Some friends will hit the road when the fire gets hot. Friends who used to call you daily or weekly don’t remember your number when you call them, that is, if they will pick your call. Few people want to be close to you, many will avoid you!

Somehow you get to know that success has many friends but failure, whether perceived or otherwise, is an orphan with very few friends if any. 

Mat 26:40  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

 

Jesus too experienced this, as his own time of crisis drew near. He was shocked with Peter and I can imagine him shout ‘What! Could you not watch with me one hour?’   Have you ever called for a night vigil with a close friend only to later discover that he fell asleep when you were agonizing about your problem? Then you will understand how Jesus must have felt. When you tried to share the burden of what you are going through and no one seems to understand. In the middle of that large congregation you still find yourself alone! No one knows what you are going through.

In the lead verse, Jacob was left alone! He did not choose to be alone, some people left him! You may argue but he sent away his wife and kids. Didn’t Naomi send away Ruth and Oprah? What made Ruth to stay and Oprah leave? A surface commitment to you and your agenda will always make people leave in unfavourable situations. Whether they are husbands, wives, close friends, you name it.

What do you do when someone who has promised to be there all along leaves? When the friends you had invested in, think you are no longer worthy of their company or time.When that relationship ends or the friend walks away. Where does one turn when the very people you thought you could turn to in your crisis, are not there when you need them? It’s easy when we lose people who hold no value for us but when those we thought were pillars go, what do we do? It leaves us sad when people leave. We become depressed and nurse a sense of betrayal. This was Jacob’s state.

In the midst of this place of crisis, Jacob turns to the God that promises to be with him in his trouble. He turns to the strong hold that promises to answer when we call on Him in the time of trouble. His attention is focused on God from whom he expects help to come.

Who you turn to when you are in trouble tells a lot about who you trust! Do you first look to a doctor whether native or medical? Are you confident that that man or woman will help? Is your uncle there for you?

Jacob ran to God. His first agenda was not to recruit men to help him fight his brother who was coming against him.  He did not run back to Laban, his father-in-law, for help or protection. No, he called a night vigil and sought God for himself.

He sought comfort from the God of all Comfort But instead of being comforted, God began wrestling him! He had problems that were coming his way and here he is engaged in a wrestling match with God. The last place to turn to for refuge is also wrestling with you. 

In trying to apply these series of messages, you too may feel that you are also engaged in a wrestling match, I know I felt that way and still do.  

In reading these series, are you being challenged that what you are going through isn’t enough reason to compromise? Does it raise a call for you to hold on to your faith in God when all you wanted to do was to let go? Does it still point you toward God even when your situation calls for you to look away?  Or maybe some other questions have been going on in your heart as you wrestle with God. 

Some others just say comfort me. Tell me it will be well without giving any conditions. Encourage me that I will prosper but give me no other conditions but God has different plans. God did the same with Job before he intervened in his situation. He kept challenging him and threw a question that provoked him to rethink his very lifestyle. He wrestled with him till his heart came in alignment with God’s heart.

Jacob held on and made a request of God. He asked; wait for it, to be blessed! Wait a minute; is Jacob beside himself for asking this?  Why ask to be blessed, when the brother he had cheated and robbed of a fathers blessing was coming at him with an army of 400 men? Is Jacob so addicted to being blessed? Why was the blessing a major concern for him? He gave away food for a fathers blessing, deceived a father for the blessing and here again lost sleep for God’s blessing. 

Initially when I read his request I was confused by his request.  If Jacob had asked for protection from his brother it would have made practical sense. If he had asked for angelic protection that would have been correct for me but not Jacob. He kept insisting, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’.

Jacob understood more than I did that the blessing was more than having a new car or property or even protection.  He had seen and witnessed the results of a fathers blessing that even made Laban confess that God blessed his house-hold because of Jacob. If a man’s blessing was that powerful, how much more will God’s blessing be. Jacob knew that it was better to be a blessed man.  He knew from the accounts given him by his grandfather-Abraham, his father, Isaac and from his own personal experience that God’s blessing comes with protection, provision, position and other privileges. Gen. 12:3.

Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

Gen 28:15  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 

God is never far from the one he has blessed! He becomes your constant companion. He sets a seal on the man he has blessed and situations favour him, whatsoever he does is prosperous. He becomes a tree by the rivers of water. No wonder Jabez cried out ‘Oh that thou would bless me indeed!’

My cry is that God will bless me indeed. I’m not asking him for just his provision or protection but for his true blessing. A blessing that can be carried with me, into my job, business, marital life etc. Did you notice that Jacob carried the blessing?

When Abraham carried the blessing even Lot became great! Joseph carried the blessing and Potiphar left everything in his care. The blessing makes rich! It is not just riches! The bible says the ‘blessings of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow’ (Prov. 10:22). It makes rich, it is not merely riches.

There is comfort in receiving the blessing of God! Friend, seek his blessing and when you have found it your life will not be the same.

Lastly note that before the blessing came, He changed his name. God can rename you! They said you where a failure but May God rename you! They called you hopeless but may God rename you! They said you were a thief or cheat or a fraudster but go to God and he can rename you!

I wonder what people would later start calling the woman with the issue of blood. They did not care to know her name, they knew only her problem. So what would they call her after the problem is taken away? May be they would say, that used to be the woman that had an issue of blood.  I think thats better!

Oh! Can you hear your own situation being talked about too? That used to be the barren woman or that used to be the unemployed graduate or that used to be....

God changed his name, his very nature, and blessed Him. After this encounter his brother could not mistreat him. No army was confident enough to fight him (Gen. 35:5). God was no longer unfamiliar with Jacob. He knew Jacob by name. He became the Lord God of Israel.

What is this blessing you may ask? Well, isn’t it obvious? The blessing Jacob carried was God’s abiding presence. God became his shield and his exceeding great reward! Just like he had promised Jacob’s grandfather in Gen. 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Oh! That God will bless me indeed!!