26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Most of the time, when we cry “Uncle” in a fight, it means we are no longer able or willing to fight, and have conceded defeat. We are asking for the merciful withdrawal of our opponent from combat. It appears that the Angel of the Lord, here wrestling with Jacob—is calling out “Uncle,” doesn’t it? But remember, Jacob is fighting with an injured hip (a debilitating injury) against a supernatural being. Although Jacob persists in the wrestling, he is not really winning—he’s just not backing down. He won’t let go, at least not before the Lord blesses him. It is usually considered a blessing to simply be allowed to disengage from combat and not be completely destroyed. But Jacob wasn’t satisfied with that—he wanted something from the Lord that only the Lord could give him—blessing. He was at a point in life where he wasn’t sure where his attempts at success ended, and the Lord’s commitment to bless began. His request for blessing is what made all the difference in the life of Jacob. He wrestled with the Lord, and did not win in the sense that we think of victory. The Lord wasn’t defeated, and Jacob didn’t triumph…but he prevailed. Through a dark night of endless toil and agony Jacob clung to the Lord. It was the first crisis in his life that he did not run away from. Perhaps he’d decided he was tired of running away from pain, of avoiding discomfort and hardship—and would simply ask the Lord to bless him in the midst of the struggle.
For Christians, blessing is not found by surrendering and running away, but by surrendering and clinging tightly to their Father. Many of us have “surrendered our lives to Jesus,” only to find that we still have a choice to make as to whether we will cling to Him or not. The saying, “God helps those who help themselves” is not found in the Bible, and shouldn’t be a part of any Christian’s thinking. God does NOT help those who help themselves, but He blesses those who cling ever so tightly to Him—despite pain, struggle, and uncertainty.
Father, we cannot live without Your continued blessing in our lives—please keep up close to You in all of the circumstances we face in life, and give us the courage and faith to cling to You for blessing—despite the struggles we face in life.
downtownpastor