MY FRIENDS, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHO GOD IS, UNTIL YOU’VE COME THROUGH THE NIGHT, AND YOUR NAME IS CHANGED!!
“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 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. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!…………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.” Gen 32:24-28 (NKJV)
The ultimate struggle between man and God, my friends “with no pain there is no gain.” Something we’ve probably heard most of our lives, with the propensity to make us stronger.
As we read this incredible story of man’s perseverance and determination to get through the night and then too receive that awesome reward, a new name that God has chose, is what this journey is all about. A created being took on the Great I AM and won?
Well my friends we also can win but it will take the pain of the struggle that will last through the night. I am sure God placed this event in the pages of the historical events of His Word, because He want’s us to focus on the struggles each of us will encounter through our short probationary period on this earth from birth to death.
Each day our problems moves up in a designated weight class and as we get older the main event always gets more and more 
dramatic, the trials more precise, Problems, situations, the injustice of life, a disobedient child, a drunkard husband, and the list goes on.
So now that I have placed each of us in the ring with God as our opponent. How can we win like Jacob. How can our names be changed and how can we “struggle with God and with man, and prevail.” First it takes preparation.
In addition, Jacob is going up against God, He knows only faith and endurance makes one a conqueror, we also cannot come to the fight, lacking in prayer and the study of God’s word, intemperate in our eating habits, or maybe just “having a form of godliness but denying its power”
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give [a new name] to those who ask him!” Matt 7:11 (NKJV) And also we must never focus our attention on the timing of why we haven’t succeeded against God because a lack of patience is only a lack of faith remember Jacob fought all night.
2 Peter 3:9 tells us “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
It may come a time when the presence of God is veiled from our face, and it will only be our faith, and the promises of God that we have constantly studied in His word that will give us the strength to continue. But we can never stop until WE HAVE COME THROUGH THE NIGHT, AND OUR NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED.
Consistent with this, When God changes our name, it’s to establish a new identity or character, because once our name has been
changed we “have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer [we] who live, but Christ lives in [us]; and the life which [we] now live in the flesh [we] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [us] and gave Himself for [us].” Gal 3:20 (NKJV)
My friends, “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons [and daughters]……” “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:14:19 (ESV) WHEN OUR NAMED IS CHANGED IN GOD’S KINGDOM
So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY
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