Experiencing God's Presence #287

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

Genesis 32:28

My young son and I enjoy wrestling with each other. We get down on the floor of his room and battle it out. We twist and turn, grunt and gasp, and finally lie there exhausted. Why? Not because we need to know who is stronger—I am, of course—or because we have an insatiable competitive streak. No, it’s because we enjoy the close interaction, and we bond.

God gets down on our level like that, and not because He wants to prove His strength. He has plenty of ways of demonstrating His mastery—which, by the way, we already acknowledged when we first came to Him. God enjoys the interaction and makes Himself vulnerable to all the twists and turns of a relationship. Like I do with my son, He sometimes lets us “win.” In our on-the-floor experiences with Him, we bond.

That’s why God often interacts with us in a wrestling match. Sure, He could crush us with His Presence. One glance at His glory would rightfully drive us facedown onto the floor. But we weren’t created in His image to know Him only as Master; we were created in His image to relate to Him. He invites us to wrestle with Him, to bond with Him, to enjoy Him—and to be blessed in the intensity of the relationship.

Don’t think wrestling matches with God are abnormal or a sign that something is wrong. Let those moments draw you closer to Him, knowing that He wants you to struggle and prevail. The struggle will end, and even if it leaves you exhausted on the floor, you will be stronger for it and feel closer to Him as a result. No matter how it turns out, you win.

Father, draw me close to You—even in the difficult trials and grueling struggles of life. When I’m exhausted, encourage me with Your words.

From the book