By Kathi Pelton
Today I was reading the story of when Jacob wrestled with God throughout the long night found in Genesis 32. As I read this, I began to think about how many of us have had long nights of the soul that have felt as though we were wrestling with God. These “long nights” can be translated into long years. These seasons can be overshadowed by an internal conflict (wrestle) regarding who we believe God is and how that looks in our lives. Jacob physically wrestled with God yet he probably emotionally and mentally wrestled with Him as well throughout his years laboring for Laban.
We see this kind of wrestle in the lives of many men throughout the Bible. Here are just a few examples; Abraham received the promise of offspring that would become great nations and yet his wife was barren. Though he held onto faith, he wrestled with his thoughts as he and Sarah grew old and still bore no children. Isaac and Rebekah also received the inherited promise regarding their offspring and yet she did not conceive a child for twenty years (then God gave them twins). Jacob (Isaac’s son) worked for seven years for Laban to gain his daughter Rachel as a wife— only to be deceived and given the wrong daughter. He then worked another seven years to gain what who was originally promised to him, Rachel. I imagine that living out these many years of disappointments and delays felt like a wrestle physically, mentally and emotionally.
We do not pretend to understand why so many of God’s people have to go through long, dark nights of the soul and yet we know that this is often the reality that many experience— not all but many. And they must wrestle with their soul and their faith during these times.
At the end of Jacob’s night of wrestling, he gained two things; a limp and a new name. His hip had been wounded causing him to permanently walk with a limp and yet his name was changed from Jacob to Israel.
”Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”“ Genesis 32:28
The name Israel is derived from the Hebrew words, “yisra,” which means to struggle, and “el,” which is short-hand for “God,” or “Elohim.” Therefore, it can be interpreted as someone who struggles with God.
Have you struggled with God? Have you struggled with what appears to be contradictions between what you hoped for and what you are experiencing? Are tou struggling with the contrast of His promise over your life and the current state of your life? Do you have to fight to defend His faithfulness to your own soul that says, “Where are You?”
In Psalm 13, David found himself in this wrestle when he said,
”How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? Psalm 13:1-2
“Take counsel in my soul…” There are many times that we are having to counsel our soul as it begins to question God, question the legitimacy of our faith and walk with sorrows (sufferings) that seem to contradict the truth that you once gave you great hope. You may be saying today, “How long, O Lord?”
But— it is in the wrestle of these things that changes our name— who we are. This is where we prevail amid the contradictions and confusion. This is the gap or the space in time that we overcome our suffering souls and declare His faithfulness even louder than we did when we first believed. For it has been tested and God allowee us to prevail. And this is where are soul receives a permanent limp that finally allows His Spirit to lead the way.
God allowed Jacob to prevail— but it wasn’t because of his own ability or strength— for who can prevail when wrestling with God? His mercy and His love allowed Jacob to prevail.
In Psalm 13, David goes onto say,
“Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.“ Psalm 13:3-6
God will cause you to prevail over your foes— which may actually be your own soul and the unbelief that you wrestle with. Or it may be those who look upon your life and say, “Where is your God? Why do you put your hope in Him?” But as you continue to put your trust in His steadfast love, you will begin to see how He has dealt boutifully with you and how He will allow you to prevail!
This prevailing will change your name— you will be known before the Lord as one who struggled or wrestled with God and prevailed. His spirit now has prevailed over your soul— defeating fear, every lie, unbelief, and even faithlessness.
Yes, suffering is hard. No one desires suffering and yet it comes to many as an uninvited guest that usually overstays its welcome. As you prevail over suffering, you will have a limp— for you have become acquainted with Christ’s suffering. But He overcame it all so that you can be a victorious overcomer. You will have gained endurance, character and a hope that cannot be shaken.
”Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.“ Romans 5:3-5
You are overcoming and prevailing over hopelessness— which is an enemy of your soul and an enemy of God. Jacob should not have prevailed and yet God allowed (caused) him to. He will do this for you as well. He will cause you to prevail— even in the wrestle over your own soul (and the foes that come from the outside).
Do not stop wrestling— for He will grant you the prevailing victory that His Son gained for you. He will strengthen you once again and you too will sing like David as you declare, “The Lord has dealt bountifully with me.”
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Oceans in the Desert 
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