“JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE!”

 Genesis 32:22-32                         (ESV)

Jacob Wrestles with GOD

“[22] The same night he (Jacob) arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. [23] He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. [24] AND “JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE”. And a MAN wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. [25] When the MAN saw that HE did not prevail against Jacob, HE touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with HIM. [26] Then HE said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let YOU go unless you bless me.” [27] And HE said to him, “What is your name?” And HE said, “Jacob.” [28] 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.” [29] Then Jacob asked HIM, “Please tell me YOUR NAME.” But HE said, “Why is it that you ask MY NAME?” And there HE BLESSED HIM. [30] So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen GOD face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” [31] The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. [32] Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because HE touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.”

There is something to be said about BEING ALONE WITH GOD!  Over the past 15 years I have “grown” more and more comfortable with the solitude of BEING ALONE WITH GOD, especially since 2013 when I began my QUIET TIME with the LORD!  

When “JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE” with “a MAN”, his life was completely changed!  The MAN left Jacob with a hitch in his giddy-up as “HE touched his hip socket”.  Apparently Jacob’s gate was affected so that he would NEVER FORGET the changes brought about by “a MAN”???

When I awoke from the coma in July 2009, I didn’t realize it at the time, but my life was drastically changed, and I had NO CONTROL over it!  My personality used to be very outgoing.  It is now rather reserved.  There is NO DOUBT that ALMIGHTY GOD is the reason behind this change, in my opinion.  None of my physical abilities have changed, but my ability to choose words has drastically changed, something that I am convinced that was DIVINELY orchestrated!  Slowing down my ability to verbalize has made me THINK about what is coming out of my mouth, something that I wasn’t very good at doing previously.

Could I be wrong?  Of course!  When “JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE” to deal with “a MAN”, he was convinced in verse 30 that GOD ALONE had changed his life!  Of course Scripture tells us WHO changed Jacob in verse 30.  You can either believe that I was “just lucky”, or as my doctor wrote in September 2007 “However, he (me!) has had a remarkable recovery that could only be defined as a miracle from GOD!”  Sure “JACOB WAS LEFT ALONE”, but he was alone WITH GOD!  There is NOTHING LIKE THAT IN THIS WORLD!!!