Lost & Found

“Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.” - Genesis 35:1 (NLT)

What do you notice about this verse? What jumped out at you?:

Have you ever heard the phrase, “if you don’t feel the presence of God, go back to the last place you heard God’s voice?” In the above scripture, Jacob has just spent all night wrestling with God. After this, God tells him to go back to the place where He appeared to him before he fled from his brother. Just days before, this would have been unfathomable to Jacob. The shame he felt, one can only imagine. He had been wandering for twenty years because of this. But…God! Not only does He restore Jacob to the place he once was, He also gives him a blessing, a new name, Israel. How many times have we found ourselves wandering, so off-course that we cannot even see a way out of the wilderness? How many times have we tried to ‘help God out’ or make things happen, making a mess out of our lives? We try to force the blessing or make something happen, only to end up further off course than ever before.

What is the thing you have not surrendered to God? What has He spoken to you that you have ignored? Sometimes it is a small thing. I remember one year, I asked for my son to have a specific teacher. I had an ‘in’ with the school, so I kind of used my ‘power’ to get what I wanted. Of course, I thought this teacher would be best for him. My intentions were so good. But guess what? He had the worst school year ever, academically and socially. None of the kids in the class were apart of his friend group, and he was miserable. If I had just left him with the other teacher, he probably would have done well.

Or it could be it is something bigger than that; a relationship God has asked you to let go of, a ministry He is calling you to be a part of, a habit He has asked you to give up. This is a perfect opportunity for you to have a wrestling match with your Father. Take sometime this week to really seek God’s face. Get on your knees and surrender whatever it is to His will. Ask Him to have His way. Ask Him to bless you. Perhaps, you will also find yourself in need of a new name or a new identity. The things He asks of us might not seem easy, but His way is always better.

Answer & Reflect on the following question:

The above passage talks about ‘wrestling with God’. Take sometime this week and ask God to show you how He sees you. Reflect on this and learn to let go of those labels, let go of the past, let go of anything hindering you from becoming who God has called you to be. 

Speak to the Lord and spend some time in prayer:

Lord, please lead us and guide us! Help us to see ourselves how You see us. Empower us to let go of the past. Let us throw off any labels that people have tried to put on us and the ones we have put on ourselves. Help us to know what it looks like to truly surrender to You, so we can rid ourselves of anything not of You. Wrestle with us Father, God! Bless us! Rename us! Change us, from the inside, out! Let us take on Your nature, so we can look more like You. In Jesus name, Amen.