Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." Genesis 32:28
I knew from my buddies in the Ranger Battalion that hand to hand combat training was the one of the worst gauntlets in Ranger School. At the time, hand to hand was responsible for most of the casualties and medical drops. I had visions of a 7-foot, 250 lb, freak of nature tossing me around the pit like a rag doll. I prayed for a ranger buddy my own size. Not so with an Old Testament guy named Jacob. The Bible says that he wrestled with God and held on until He blessed him. What tenacity! But, why would Ranger Jacob get into the hand to hand pit with God and better yet, why would God let Him win? It was all about a blessing. Jacob wanted God’s benevolent fingerprints all over his life. And God was pleased accommodate him. In a sense, I wrestle with God everyday in my morning prayers. I’m asking Him to bless my family, my ministry, and YOU. SP236
