Real Blessings

Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is dawn.” But Jacob panted, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Genesis 32:26

Jacob had had enough of his own manipulative, conniving, and deceptive ways. He had prospered indeed, but he had complicated his life in the process. All of his most important relationships were entangled in hurt and confusion. And now he was about to see his brother—the brother from whom he had stolen the birthright and blessing of their father. He did not know what to expect from his brother, but he knew he could not continue to take advantage of others for his selfish purposes.

Jacob knew he needed to change. He knew he had to find a new way to live. So he would wrestle with God until the Lord changed his heart. He was not looking for a solution for his meeting with Esau; he was looking for change. He wasn’t looking for a way to smooth things over in his family; he was looking for change. It wasn’t enough just to feel different; he needed to be different. And he would not let go of God until the change had taken place.

“I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

We are all like Jacob in some way. We have schemes we hope God will bless. We have ways of defending ourselves, many of which are unhealthy for us and for the ones we love. We have self-absorbed priorities that dictate our behavior. But we each get opportunities to face these patterns and change our behavior. If we use those opportunities simply as a means to feel better, the negative patterns of behavior just lie dormant until a time in the future when we think they can benefit us. But when we desperately and earnestly seek God and ask for real inner change, the healing begins.

Which would you rather have: temporary relief from your struggles, or the real transformation that comes from seeking God until he blesses you?

Lord, never let me settle for relief from the pain in my life when real inner transformation is what I really need.