“When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day has broken.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Genesis 32:25-26
The “man” with whom Jacob wrestled was none other than God. Though Jacob’s hip was dislocated, he would not let God go until he received a blessing from him. So God gave him a blessing in the form of a new name: Israel, meaning “you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”
Just as God blessed Jacob with a new name, He has blessed us with a new name: “Christian.” Through faith in Christ, we are made new. We are no longer enemies with God, but his adopted children1. However, this blessing does not mean we will be perfect. Even though we are blessed, we walk with a limp— we often sin and fall short of God's glory.
Though we sin, we are blessed when we repent and seek forgiveness2. We are all limping toward heaven, where we will one day walk in perfection, so keep walking.
Prayer: Lord God I thank you for your Word. Often I wrestle with it, to fully understand it. I also wrestle with the world, as it tries to draw me away from you. Though I fall short of your glory I am blessed.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1