Contending

Have you been contending for something?? Is there something in your life or your loved ones life that needs transformation? Is there an area of weakness that you just cannot seem to get victory over? Maybe a lack of character in some area, maybe a negative, unhealthy perception of yourself, maybe a need for a love outside of God being your first love?  Well, good news…..God is our transformer!! He wants to change us….remember the bible tells us we go “from glory to glory”. So let’s go to a new level of glory today!

Let’s take a look in the book of Genesis chapter 32 verses 22-32, where Jacob “wrestles” with God. Here, Jacob is in fear for his life, he’s about to have an encounter with his long lost brother. The background on Jacob was that he deceived his father and stole his brother’s (Esau) birth right 20 years earlier.  Jacob grew up in a Godly home with Godly parents and knew his deception was wrong! YET,  the passage picks up in verse 24, “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man (God) wrestled with him until the breaking of day.” The passage continues in verse 26-30,  ….”And He said, Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he (Jacob) said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”  Here we see Jacob’s tenacity to contend with God in a desperate time. Have you come to a desperate time in your life where somethings gotta give? Where you know there needs to be a change but you just aren’t seeing it?? Well, interestingly, Jacob KNOWS God wills to bless him and his household (v 12), and Jacob’s tenacious attitude was not willing to have anything less…YES, even though Jacob wasn’t perfect and YES, even though Jacob had sinned!! He wanted his FULL INHERITANCE and nothing else would do! We see in verse 29 ….”And He (God) blessed him (Jacob) there.”

So here’s the deal guys…..though we have weaknesses, though we have sinned and fallen short, though we struggle with perhaps certain things that just won’t seem to let go …we have been made righteous (put in right standing with God because of Jesus shed blood) God wills to bless us! And clearly, one of the lessons here is go ahead and wrestle with God.  Get that tenacious, expectant, persevering attitude of yours and line it up with the promises of God and contend for that transformation!!! He’s waiting on you to step up and claim your birth rights!! 

Remember……you are a child of the living God….a child of the King of kings and Lord of lords! We have been so graciously given blessings beyond our imagination…..GET CONTENDING!!!!