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"Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." - Genesis 32:28

Jacob had spent his life manipulating to get his way. He was very good at it. He knew when to hit someone at their weakest point to get what he wanted and when to lie and smooth the road a little to tilt the scales in his direction.

However, those decisions had cost him dearly. He had to leave home and run for his life and his own uncle had manipulated and used him to marry both his daughters and labor for free. Now he was to meet up again with his brother Esau who was still very angry over Jacob stealing their father's blessing for the birthright. 

Jacob became very aware of his real character and realized he needed help - much help. He knew God had promised to bless him. Yet, he knew he had never given God control to do what he promised. He was ever fearful and would always intervene in his own way to manipulate or control events for fear God wouldn't come through. He never waited on God. This instance wasn't much different. In an effort to placate his brother, he had sent large gifts ahead of him to try and manipulate Esau with material goods so Esau wouldn't pursue him.

Jacob realized that yet again he was venturing to do things without God. This was serious and everything seemed to hang in the balance. He knew he must change. He had to know God was with him and that he was not acting alone.

He went to a solitaire place and spent the night wrestling with God. He wanted to change. He wanted to be blessed and he would not let go until that happened. In the end, he received not only the blessing, but the character change he was seeking. “The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."

It's interesting to note that God changed his name from Jacob: “swindler, thief, stealer” to Israel: “one who struggles with God and overcame”. God literally changed who Jacob was. Israel was to become a mighty man and nation and a person the people could see the character of God through.

We need to get to that place. We need to wrestle our issues out with God and not let go until He changes us and gives us His blessing. It's hard work and it requires determination not to let go and give up until He does what He has promised in us. He will change us. He will overcome the issues in our lives that limit His blessings on us. Our wrestling is a process and isn't always pleasant. It's a battle between our nature and God's changing power. It's a process of letting go and letting God take control. It's distrusting our fears and our own efforts and letting God prove to us His ability to lead our lives. Jacob's life is our example. He will change our character and make us into "one who struggles with God and overcomes".

"And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man

according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey."

--Matt. 25:15.  

How many times do we put "conditions" on God's plans for us? We somehow come to the conclusion that we have to DO something to merit God's goodness. We may even see a plan God has for us in our lives, but feel the pressure to "perform" in order to achieve that goal. 

Obedience is important in living a life of peace, but sometimes we take that to the extreme and try to put God's plans for us as conditional to our works. We remove God from the equation. We forget that we cannot obey God without God. It is impossible without His working in us.

2 Timothy states this. It states that God had already called us to a holy life, to a life filled with plans and goodness, not because of our own doings but because of God's own desired plans and His grace towards us. The beauty of God's love is that He sent Jesus ahead of us so that His plans for us could still be achieved through Him even when we would stumble or fall.

That fact should give each of us hope. Because of Jesus blood, all powers of the enemy have been broken. We just have to accept it. I don't have to earn God's plans. They are already there. I don't have to "perform" for God to be good to me. He already is. His love has already provided all I need to be set free. I just have to accept it. Yes, obedience is action indicating my acceptance, but it's the Holy Spirit in me that performs that task. Titus says, "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." The working of the Holy Spirit in me sets me free and changes my heart to fit into God's plan for my life. That's the whole secret the enemy wants me to forget.

Start your day by asking for the Holy Spirit to enter in. That is the key. Ask for God to perform his promise in Titus 3:5 for you today. His plans for you exceed your abilities. Otherwise, you might get the wrong idea that YOU somehow had something to do with it. He wants to be good to you and wants you to have a true understanding of His love. Don't let that moment pass today.