EXCEPT THOU BLESS ME – Genesis 32:26
Genesis 32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Jacob is wrestling with God. Jacob has persevered all night and has not let go of this man. We do not know what started this wrestling match, it could have been that Jacob thought this man was a spy for Esau and that Jacob needed to take out this man in order to protect his family. However, at some time during the night, Jacob must have realized he was not wrestling with any man.
As the sun started to rise, Jacob was touched on his thigh and the thigh was out of joint. The man had injured Jacob yet Jacob refused to let go of the man. Jacob was clearly no longer wrestling to protect his family; he was wrestling so that he might obtain more from God. When the man requested that Jacob let him go, Jacob refused to let go until God blessed him.
Are you willing to make the sacrifice that Jacob made in order to draw closer to God? Jacob lost a whole night sleep as he wrestled with this man. Jacob refused to stop until God heard his prayer and gave him the desires of his heart.
Jesus tells the parable of the widow who continues to appear before the unjust judge in order to receive that which she desires. The judge eventually gives her what she desires lest the widow weary him with her continual requests. Jesus then asked the question whether when HE returned whether such faith would be found on this earth.
God desires that we learn to be persistent in our prayers. In order for Jacob to be persistent in receiving the desires of his heart, he had to first add temperance to his life and he had to resist his desires to go to sleep. Jacob understood that receiving a blessing from God was more important than the couple of hours of sleep that he would get that night. Jacob determined he was going to get a hold of God that night and God rewarded Jacob.
What is the desire of your heart? What sacrifices are you willing to make in order to obtain them? Are you willing to be persistent in prayer both night and day? Are you willing to sacrifice a meal or two in order to focus your ears to hearing the words of God? Are you willing to put aside your sleep so that you might have more time to develop your relationship with HIM?
The things of this world do cloud our vision and distort our ability to hear the voice of God. God desires to have a personal relationship with us like HE had with Adam and Eve prior to the fall. However, Satan is doing everything in his power to ensure that we are distracted by the pleasures of this world that we do not have time to hear God. If we truly desire a closer relationship with HIM, then we will put aside the things of this world so that we can put God first.
God made us so that we need food and sleep. Nonetheless, from time to time, it may be necessary to put aside our desires so that we can come more in tuned with God. In the same way that God honored Jacob for his persistence, so likewise will God honor you if you learn to be persistent in your prayers.
There are things that you say that you desire; the question is, do you desire them enough to sacrifice your time and energy to prayer so that you can more clearly see the will of God for your life. Remember, if you ask anything according to the will of God, you will receive it. God desired to bless Jacob, Jacob just needed to wrestle with God through the night first.