scars & blessings

Genesis 32 contains one of the most unique encounters with God that we see in all of Scripture. To be fair, most encounters with God in Scripture are each unique in their own ways, but this interaction between God and Jacob is definitely an original.

Jacob, his family, and his livestock had just fled his uncle Laban’s household, and he was about to see his brother Esau for the first time in a couple of decades. This is the same Esau whose blessing Jacob stole by deceiving their father, Isaac. Esau had threatened to kill Jacob because of this, and now Jacob was about to come face to face with him, and he was fearful.

Maybe you can relate to some of these family dynamics, or maybe it makes you appreciate that even though your family has it’s own share of dysfunction you’re not quite this bad. Either way, we can all relate to tough relationships, difficult dynamics, and past regrets. We’ve all experienced having to face awkward and even fearful meetings with people.

Jacob prayed. He confessed His unworthiness, recognized God’s faithfulness, and asked for God’s help. Then while spending the night on his own after sending the others ahead, Jacob had this unusual encounter:

Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.’ But he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ So he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.’ Then Jacob asked him and said, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And he blessed him there. So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.’ Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh.  Genesis 32:24-31

There is so much that we see happening in these verses, but it struck me that Jacob walked away blessed, but scarred. He wrestled with God and was blessed by God, but walked away with a limp. So often it seems like the scars and the blessings really do come together. It can be out of some of the most difficult, challenging things in our life that we also end up receiving the greatest blessings.

In those difficult, scarring situations that we face in life, it seems like we always have a choice. We can allow the situation to stop us and make us give up, or like Jacob we can keeping going to seek God’s blessing. If we stop we’re just left with the pain, but if we persist in seeking God’s blessing in the pain then like Jacob we might be able to walk away with not just the scars, but also the blessing.

Now, this doesn’t mean that we always have to stay in the situation that is causing the pain, as we seek God’s blessing we also need to seek His wise guidance. There may be times he asks us to stay in something, but at other times that is clearly not what He wants for us. Even if we leave a scarring situation though, we are still carrying the scars with us as we go. The question becomes, will we carry painful, tender scars that still hurt when bumped, or will we carry healed scars that remind us not just of the pain but of God’s blessing?

Wrestling through the pain and seeking God’s blessing in the midst of it is not easy. We all want the blessing without the limps and scars that remain behind, but the growth and new understanding of who we are that comes from wrestling through these things with God are priceless.

So if you are in the midst of a challenging situation or season, be persistent in wrestling through it with God. In obedience, seek His blessing and the growth comes from it, letting the scars remind you of His faithfulness.