Elemental: S2 - Day 34

Psalm 13:2  “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts  and every day have sorrow in my heart?”

If you have found this series difficult, I have a  Bible character for you to consider.
 
Heard in children’s story sound bites, his  life is easy. He’s a pillar of the faith chosen by  God. His large family is a fulfillment of God’s  promises. He is wealthy and loved and part of  the lineage of Christ. But listen a little closer.  Read a little deeper.

Jacob spends most of his life in second-class  as second-born. God makes him promises that don’t seem to come true. He quietly hangs out  with his mom in the kitchen because his dad favors his twin brother, Esau, who is boisterous,  fun, and more successful at things men do.  
In his forties, losing faith in God’s promises,  Jacob attempts to take control of his life and wrestle his destiny from his father’s dying  hands. But the plot is ill-fated. He must now run, leaving home, leaving mom, leaving everything  he has known.  

Confused and out of his element, Jacob  dreams on the ground with a rock for a pillow.  And God re-ups His promises, “I am with you and  will watch over you wherever you go.” (Genesis 28:15). Jacob falls in love, works hard, and  seems blessed. But he’s tricked, extorted, and marries the wrong woman. Years will pass, and  he can’t go home. Jacob must be thinking, “God, where are you when I need you? Why do your  promises never come true?”  

Finally, excruciatingly, Jacob begins the  journey home. He is sixty, wealthy, and worried  about Esau’s vow to kill him when they meet.  Not much of his life has gone well. It can’t feel  like God has done a great job watching over him.  Then, the night before the showdown with his brother, Jacob is attacked by a stranger in the  darkness. And though they wrestle and wrestle  and wrestle, Jacob will not let go. Somehow, he  knows it is God he is trying to hold onto. This is  his life, the pursuit of a God always about to slip  through his fingers.
 
If this is how it feels for you, hear the  lessons of Jacob. Sometimes things look bleak,  dark, and God’s promises don’t seem true.  These patches of doubt can last for years. Keep  wrestling. When you feel outcast, a foreigner,  taken advantage of, and abused, keep wrestling.  If you’ve made mistakes, lost your way, or tried  to write your own story, obliterating God’s plan  for your life, keep wrestling.  

“Reconstruct” and “wrestle” just might be  synonyms—difficult, but worth it. So, I pray you  have courage, develop trust and find a solid  hold on Christ.
 
1. What exercise do you enjoy that always  raises your heart rate?
2. Was there a time you resorted to trickery  or falsehood to get what you wanted?  When was that? 
3. Describe a time when you felt God did not  watch over you. What do you need Him to  watch over now?