Jacob wrestles with God

Jacob has come to the edge of his resources. He reaches appoint where he cannot deal with his relationship with God with his present skills and resources. At this point in our spiritual journey, we can find no reason to leave our present comfort zone. We will not leave this comfortable spot until we are forced to leave. The invitation has to be unexpected and unsought by ourselves.

Jacob finds that he is no longer in the driver’s seat. This could be the first time in his life that he is not in control. He also finds that his present plan is not sufficient to take him where he wants to go, back home. Only at this point does Jacob reach out to the real source that provides him a way home. Before, Laban had allowed Jacob to name his own wages but now God does not allow him to choose. There is only one way for Jacob.

At some point in our lives, we recognize that we have reached the place where we cannot fix, control, change, or understand this turmoil happening within us. Jacob has reached this place in his life as he wrestles with the messenger from God.

We see this happening in Paul’s experience on the Damascus road. The voice says, “It hurts to kick against the goad (Acts 26:14b). The goad is a sharpened stick for prodding and steering cattle. The symbol of this object is that it pushes us forward even beyond the point we wish to go and in the direction we do not want to go. Jacob experiences being pushed beyond his comfort zone into a new relationship with God that was never possible in his former state of being.