-April 19, 2023-
Good morning, happy Wednesday,
“For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”
(Genesis 32:12).
Jacob was in severe trouble. The brother whose birthright he bought for a bowl of red lentil stew and whose blessing he took from him, was now coming to him with 400 armed men. He had no weapons to fight with and feared for his life and lives of his family. God had Jacob right where He wanted him to be: completely dependent on Him. Throughout his life he was a supplanter. He schemed and plotted trying to work things out his own way. Now he turned to the Lord in earnest prayer and claimed the promises of God.
It is only when we surrender to the Lord and rely on Him can we see God work in mighty power. He reminded God of His promises to treat him well and make his descendants like the sand of the sea. It isn’t enough to just know God’s promises, we must claim them by faith and rest on them. Later in Genesis chapter 32, when Jacob was alone, a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. This was no ordinary man, but the Angel of the Lord. It was Jesus in his pre incarnate form. He told Jacob, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” The name Israel means, “Prince with God.”
God loves us to remind Him of His promises, though He never forgets any of them. He wants us to remember and claim them, moving forward in faith. God protected Jacob and all his family from Esau and his armed men. Esau who once hated him and wanted kill greeted him warmly. How the Lord works in the hearts of men, even unsaved ones. When we claim God promises, we find that they never fail. Someone once said, “God said, and I believe it, and that settles it for me.”
Are you facing an overwhelming and impossible situation, with no way out? Are you fearful like Jacob was? Let go and let God. Wrestle in prayer, and yield fully to Him. Whether it is a bad habit, a financial crisis, or an unsolvable situation; be assured you can claim His promises. First, we must know His promises, then we must claim His promises by faith, and then we must rely fully on the Lord.
Have a blessed day trusting in the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.
Standing on the promises of God who cannot fail,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 