Are You Fighting God?

I have continued read Genesis and I have to say that there is a great deal that I have learned that I did not think I would. God has been speaking to me very clearly lately, and that is something I am extremely grateful for. Yesterday I read Genesis 32 which recounts the time that Jacob wrestled with God. For those who aren’t familiar with the story, God appears to Jacob as an old man and wrestles with him throughout the night. Jacob is strong though but God touches his hip, weakening him.

The story is simple yet it stood out to me. I found myself asking “how often do I wrestle with God?” We don’t always think in terms of wrestling with God, but we often do without realizing it. We tend to fight God’s plans for our lives, or we try to push our own agenda. How often do you find yourself rebelling against God’s plan for you?

Though we may feel like we are exercising control over our destiny, it takes a great deal of effort and can tire us out. Jacob fought through the whole night, he probably knew he would not win but he still fought. Why? Why put up a fight, why rebel? God’s plan may not be the most convenient or profitable or even rewarding route from our point of view, but in the end we can look back and realize what He was doing all along. They say that if you don’t know where you are, then that is the best place to go somewhere you’ve never been. I would change that a bit to say that if you don’t know where you are, you need to trust in God to take you to where you are supposed to be.

At 19 years old I have very little perspective on where I am supposed to be next year, in five years, or even in 20 years. God is building me up though, and bringing me to where He wants me to be. I could fight it and “do what I want” but in the end it’s too much work for a lost cause, and I need to trust in God to bring me to a place where I can experience true joy. Genesis is full of failures and mistakes, but God works around them to bring out His master plan. Trust in Him, He knows what He is doing.