But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26b NIV).
How many people wrestle with God to have Him bless them? Very few. But here Jacob said: “I will not let you go unless . . . .” Holding on to God is very important if you would like to be blessed by Him.
There are no easy steps. There are no secret formulas. The only principle that can get you blessing from God is, “Hold on to God!”
Persist in following after God. Persevere in following after God in spite of all discouragement. Jacob did that in spite of the fact that his hip was wrenched when he wrestled with God.
But today the Christian world is filled with messages of easy blessings from God. Those messages are sadly mistaken. There is a price to be paid.
You need to be determined in a persistent effort to seek after God. The secret is “not let Him go!” That means holding on to God. Instead people focus on blessings. They get it wrong there. It is God who alone can bless.
And Jacob got it right because he held on to God. Because He knew that it was God who alone could bless Him. His focus was therefore on God and not on blessings.
Finally, Jacob did not ask for any specific blessing. Why? He knew that God’s blessing is comprehensive. It takes every aspect of his life into the scope of God’s blessing.
In other words Jacob did not have a compartmentalized view of life. He saw all aspects of life as a whole. He did not divide life into financial, marital, material, and spiritual compartments.
He did not seek blessings on these areas separately. Because He knew that God’s blessing need not be compartmentalized. His blessing means fullness in all.
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