Jacob was afraid. And rightly so. He was about to be reunited with the brother he had deceived. In a night of fear and distress as he waited to meet Esau, Jacob asked God to save him and his family. And God answered him by showing Jacob the strength and kindness of God that comes through our own weakness and sometimes even through our pain.
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
If you answered wrestling, you are right! Wrestling has been around as long as there have been people. There are even ancient drawings in caves in Europe that show different wrestling positions!
Thumb wrestling might not be as challenging as wrestling with an angel, but it can be fun! Challenge a family member or friend to a game of thumb wrestling (if you don’t know how to play, you can look it up online). For an extra challenge, try thumb wrestling with both sets of hands at once (your right hand holding their right hand and their left hand holding your left hand, with your arms crossed over). Whoever wins (by being able to hold the opponent’s thumb down for a count of three) owes the other person a favor! (Be careful not to press so hard that you hurt the other person!)
God of the universe, I can’t understand Your strength and power. Remind me that when I feel weak or afraid, You are always ready to give me courage to keep going. Amen.