MY FRIENDS, IS IT NOT TIME WE WRESTLED WITH GOD ALL NIGHT?

Oct. 28, 2016

MY FRIENDS, IS IT NOT TIME WE WRESTLED WITH GOD ALL NIGHT?

The narrative begins in Gen. 32 Jacob prays, “oh God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord, who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your people, and I will make you prosper,’ I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and compassion and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant. With only my staff [long ago] I crossed over this Jordan, and now I have become [blessed and increased…….] Then Jacob says, Save me please, from what lies ahead which in this case was His brother Esau.

Then Jacob sends his family ahead of Him. And that night Jacob alone and frightened had an encounter with God. The bible says “Jacob wrestled with him until daybreak.” And then God said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” And Jacob’s response was “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” My friends if you are a child of God look around you, most of us have been blessed tremendously and we started out “with only our staff.”

But now we must begin to cry out; save us, Lord, because we have become so complacent in regards to our salvation. In addition, You have blessed us so much, we have refused to see the end of this Journey and what Satan and his forces of evil are preparing for the Children of God. So, my friends, today is not the time “to praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

But it’s time that our days and nights are spent wrestling with God as we seek with a passion the answers to, Lord, how far is self from dying completely from within? And “is our calling and election sure” or is it not so sure? And Lord, do we “continue to sin and fall short of Your glory”? And has our life become so infatuated with the things of this earth, we no longer seek Your kingdom with a passion?

My friends, these are questions we must place before God and we cannot let go of His saving grace and power because it is almost Daybreak or almost time when God will say it is finished, as he tells His Son to go get His Children. “Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His experience testifies to the power of importunate prayer. It is now that we are to learn this lesson of prevailing prayer, of unyielding faith.

The greatest victories to the church of Christ or to the individual Christian are not those that are gained by talent or education, by wealth or the favor of men. They are those victories that are gained in the audience chamber with God, when earnest, agonizing faith lays hold upon the mighty arm of power. Those who are unwilling to forsake every sin and to seek earnestly for God’s blessing, will not obtain it.

But all who will lay hold of God’s promises as did Jacob, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded.” (E.G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets p 203) And my friends, victory is ours when Christ tells us personally, “well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matt 25:21 (KJV)