Saturday, August 8, 2009

Everybody wants to be blessed, don't they?

Who remembers the story of Jacob wrestling with an angel? The angel in the end did bless Jacob, but do you remember the circumstances prior to that? Jacob had a brother, whom he had wronged (stealing both his blessing and birthright), steaming toward him with a force of 400 men. Jacob had divided what he had in two, so that something would be left if Esau destroyed one of groups. He had seperated everything from him, including his wife and children, and was left alone with the angel. He wrestled with the angel the whole night, and refused to let him go until the angel blessed him. So here's the blessing, he dislocated his leg and changed his name to Israel. So, who is ready to be blessed?

Jacob was up against an angry brother, who by Jacob's estimation could have been the end of him. He was up against it, in the grandest sense. Jacob obviously could not prevail if it came down to a fight, but through his blessing, God did what he could not. The sight of his crippled brother, melted Esau's hardened heart. A tearful reunion replaced what could have been the loss of everything that Jacob had. God can always take what would be a tragedy in our own hands and make it a blessing.

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