“Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.””GENESIS 32:28 · BSB · READ THE CHAPTER →Hebrew: Peniel, “face of God”
Jacob spent his life grabbing. He was born holding his twin brother's heel, and his name carried the idea of a heel-grabber, one who trips others up. He took Esau's birthright, deceived his father for the blessing, and outmaneuvered his uncle Laban. Now he was on his way home, terrified of the brother he had cheated.
Alone by the river Jabbok, a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. Jacob would not let go. When the Man touched the hollow of his thigh and threw it out of joint, Jacob still held on and said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Then came the question that cut to the bone: “What is your name?” To answer, Jacob had to confess who he had been. Only after he owned the old name did God give him the new one. Israel, because he had struggled with God and with men, and prevailed.
Jacob named the place Peniel, the face of God, because he had seen God face to face and lived. As the sun rose, he walked away limping, and he would limp for the rest of his life.
God often blesses us at the very point where He breaks us. The limp was not a punishment. It was a daily reminder that Jacob no longer walked in his own strength. If you carry a wound from wrestling with God, it may be the most honest thing about you. It is proof you met Him and held on.
- What old name do you need to confess before God can give you a new one?
- Where are you still grabbing instead of trusting?
- What “limp” has God used to make you depend on Him?
Write down the old name you've lived under. Then write what God says you are, and read that one out loud every morning this week.
The cross tells you what your sin cost. The empty tomb tells you it's paid in full.