Begin Again: "Forgiveness - Pt 2' - Genesis 32:22-31

22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" 27 So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." 28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. - Genesis 32:22-31

Before conversion, many of us have done things and said things that we should never have done or said. But, what do we do when our struggle with sin and self continues long after we've initially confessed faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord? Or, we confess our sins daily only to find that the "good" we would do, is still elusive.

 It is only when we have reached that place, where we see ourselves as God, and man, see us, that we are ready to be broken. It is in that "place" that the Lord breaks us of everything we use to prop our "self" up with. It is in that "place" that we realize how awful we worthless we really are, apart from God's grace and mercy. We need the Lord's forgiveness, but we also need to forgive ourselves.

Jacob wrestled with the Angel (Man) of God until the breaking of day, to receive a Word of affirmation from the Lord. He needed to know that he was no longer what people had told him he was, all of his life. Jacob had grown weary of those titles: "con artist", the "trickster" and "deceiver". Do you ever get sick and tired of committing the same sins that you confess, over and over again?

It will always cost us to reach that "place" that will thrust us into God's will for our lives; our destiny in Christ Jesus!

For an Inductive Study on Genesis 32, please visit the Bible Study for Busy People blog.