“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying… I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:13-14
In today’s passage, God renews his covenant with a man named Jacob, who is Abraham’s grandson. In the story, Jacob is wandering in the desert, having run away from home after cheating his brother out of his inheritance. Jacob is not a hero. He is dishonest, crafty, and selfish. His rebellious choices have forced him to flee from his home and his family. He is not unlike the Prodigal Son who has left home for wilder living. But as he sleeps under the stars, God appears to him for the first time in a dream.
God explains the covenant held with his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. It’s unclear if Jacob has heard of the promises before now. He certainly hasn’t been worshiping or seeking after God. But God wants Jacob to know that there are blessings in store for him regardless of his past actions and, what’s even more amazing, Jacob’s future commitment. God is going to bless Jacob. God is going to show Jacob kindness, love, and grace even though he has done nothing to earn it.
In this part of the story, only Jacob’s parents and grandparents have faith in God. Jacob, young and strong-willed, has never expressed any real faith of his own. But he decided that if God keeps his promise and brings him back home one day, THEN he will be faithful to God.
Jacob spent most of his life wrestling with the God of his parents and grandparents. Faith never came easy for him. He was always trying to resist the temptation around him. Later in Genesis, God gives him the new name Israel which means “wrestles with God,” describing Jacob’s faith journey. The name Israel comes to represent all of his descendants.
What about you? Do you feel like your faith comes easy like Abraham and Isaac? Or do you wrestle with God as Jacob does? Take time today to reflect on God’s graciousness in the midst of our rebelliousness.
Kena Hawkins Newkirk 
At times I do feel like I wrestle with God. My health has been so up and down through my entire life. At times I feel like I have had a faith that could not have been any stronger. That God would heal me physically and He has chosen not to do so. When this has happened, I feel I wrestle with God. Not questioning my faith in Him, our His love for me, but why had I not been healed. I could do so much more for God if I could be healed. Why do I continued to have pain? I do believe their are reasons ~ some I eventually understand, but most of the time I do not. Understanding He may not ever heal but He will see me through. But sometimes struggling to count it all Joy. Only by having complete faith and thankfulness in my blessings , can I begin to see Joy in pain.
It’s part of the journey to wrestle, and stay engaged with God despite the challenges. Joy doesn’t mean we’re happy all the time, but it does mean we find out strength in God.