How Jacob has changed, from the ‘deceiver’ at the beginning of his life to ‘the one who strives’ at the end of this chapter.  Everything Jacob had been through with his father, his brother, Laban and the following years had changed him, humbled him and strengthened him to become a man after God.  Someone who will work through adversity because he knows God has a plan and is in control.

worthy of the least of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant”.  He recognises two things: one that he isn’t worthy; and two, how God has loved him and blessed him despite all he has done. What a transformation.  He has realised that it’s all from God and this journey has been to make him into the man that God can now use.

I love how he is now in a place of humility and wants to bless his brother, calling him his ‘lord’.  It’s exciting to see that it’s not just an action either, his heart had been transformed and renewed and that is available to all of us if we recognise who God is and who we are. 

You also see how tenacious Jacob is when he wrestles all night for a blessing. It makes me wonder how often I give up before I have received the blessings God wants to give me. Jacob has been changed through perseverance because God cared not only about giving Jacob good things, but because he wanted to work on his character too. It's so easy to give up when it doesn't come easy but maybe that's the point. Maybe we need to keep going so a greater work can be done, James says: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” [James 1:2-4]. 

I’ve been having a struggle with work but when I talked to God about it, the thing I’m struggling with is the exact thing He wants me to grow in. Now I know that, I’ve embraced it, I only hope the next time I face troubles I remember that this is happening so I may “be mature, complete and not lacking anything.”

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Father God, please help me through any struggles I’m facing, to persevere so I may become mature.  Amen