Rasslin' with God

On the old TV show WKRP in Cincinnati, their was an episode with an unscrupulous preacher who was a former professional wrestler. This rassler turned preacher had a Sunday morning radio show on the beleaguered radio station. He hocked merchandise(including John the Baptist steak knives) and had 3 women who recounted his every word as back up singers. One of his sayings was that, "God was going to put you in a Hungarian headlock," at least that''s how I remember it.

So, have you ever wrestled with God? While the TV episode was a farce, most of us have had times where we have struggled against God and literally fought His will in our life. We are not alone in this, as a great man of the bible also once wrestled with God. We read this account of Jacob in Genesis 32:24-34.

Jacob had just freed himself from the clutches of Laban after 20 years of servitude and was returning home to the land promised him by God to confront his brother Esau, after fleeing Esau 20 years earlier in fear for his life. Jacob had been slowly but surely moving toward God but he was never able to finally give in and surrender with a broken spirit, in full submission to his Lord. Jacob seperates himself from his family for some alone time in preperation for his dealings with Esau when he is encountered by "a Man" whom he winds up wrestling with all night. Hosea 12:1-5 tell us this "Man" Jacob struggled with was indeed Jehovah God.

The "wrestling" match (not sure if a Hungarian headlock was used) was basically a draw until the "Man" touches Jacob's hip socket and cripples him. In Genesis 32:26 it reads, "And He(God) said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks.' But he(Jacob) said, 'I will not let you go until you bless me.'" Jacob had fought with God unwilling to give in. But finally, after God had broken him, Jacob gives in and will not let go of the Lord until he receives a blessing.

How to Win with God

Jacob is declared the winner of this wrestling match in verse 28 where we are told that Jacob prevailed. How did Jacob do this? Simple. He gave in, and clutched to God with all his might. When Jacob finally decided to hold tightly to the things of God and not let go, he was declared the winner. As the apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12, it is when we are "weak" before God, that we truly are "strong." The only way to win with God, is to surrender to Him and His will.

At a place Jacob named Peniel(literally the Face of God) Jacob's will was finally broken, and he finally submitted to God, and truly became God's man. Jacob, whose name means usurper, had resisted God's full will for him his entire life. But when he finally gives up the fight, he wins. He is now no longer Jacob, the usuprper, as Jacob had usurped God's will for most of his life in favor of his own. Now, God gives him a new name. That new name, Israel, literally "God's fighter." Jacob has finally reached the point where he's going to give up his will, his control of his life, in favor of allowing God to lead him.

God wants to lead each and everyone of us. He wants us to voluntarily follow Him, submit our will to His. He wants us to do this of our own accord, but if need be, He will try to break us. Just as He did Jacob. What is their in your life that you are wrestling with God with right now? Let us learn from the lesson of Jacob, that their is only one way to win with God. We must submit our will, to His. Or else a Hungarian headlock will be applied by the the Lord.