You have all likely heard me say before that when you pray for faith, you are praying for crosses. And sometimes that cross is a wrestling match with God Himself. In the appointed readings from the Old Testament and Gospel for this coming Sunday, we are allowed to see two examples of such wrestling with God. Jacob, having finally escaped his godless and greedy uncle Laban, now wondering if his brother Esau was riding out to welcome him or murder him, was alone in agonizing prayer at night when a man came up and began to fight with him. Jacob, of course, did not know that it was the Lord. All he knew was that here was yet something else that seemed to be in complete contradiction to God’s promises to him. Dr. Martin Luther, in his commentary on this event, believes that in the midst of their fierce physical battle, the unknown assailant was also arguing with Jacob, questioning God’s promises, reminding Jacob of all the reasons why Jacob was unworthy of such promises. And though filled with weakness and fear, and though his faith certainly at times hung only by the thinnest of threads, still Jacob would not give up. He continued to insist that God would be faithful, that God had to be faithful to His Word. And in this way, Jacob overcame God. Even as death and defeat were staring him in the face, as his very true sins were laid upon his conscience, still, Jacob clung to what God had said. That is all that matters. Sin and death are not more powerful than God’s Word. This is how faith is tested. Our faith is not in what is happening to us. It is in what God has said. Faith cries out in its exhaustion and pain, “God, I will not let you go unless you bless me!” It doesn’t matter how long it takes. You have promised and so you WILL!” This pleases God. And it is this faith that will endure even under the most blistering attacks of Satan because it is built not on yourself, but on the promises of the God who bled and died to keep all of His promises to you. I look forward to seeing you all this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer