Pain Before Blessing

While talking to a close friend yesterday I remembered Genesis 32 the story of Jacob wrestling with the man. Starting from verse 24 "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What [is] thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked [him], and said, Tell [me], I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore [is] it [that] thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there." Ending at verse 29.

There are a few things I would like to point out here the first being that Jacob was willing to fight for change in his life. He was going to meet his brother hoping that his brother would not kill him. Verse 20 states, "I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me." Jacob wrestled with this man alone. This was something that he has to face and fight for alone. Jacob was such a strong contender that the man had to dislocate his hip. Jacob still held on and would not let go until the man blessed him. Let me just say that dislocating anything especially a hip is very painful.The man then changed his name to Israel thus changing his identity.

The questions are:
Are you willing to fight through the pain it may take to receive your blessing?

Can you look back on your life and recognized that God used that pain and struggle to deliver you? (Read verse 30)

Please be encouraged as you go through the pains of life the way you deal with the pain shapes who you are.