Be Silent Before Holy God
There are times when life just becomes difficult, when we are not sure if we can place the next foot in front of another to walk forward, or if we can stand. Yes, there are seasons when we wrestle against what we may not be sure WHAT; nonetheless, we wrestle, turning over this and that in our being. Surely, there are moments when we are not sure how we will make it through, how we will survive. Life becomes a troubling time.
In those hard moments, what are we to do?
Turn to Social Media?
Turn to our friends?
Turn to our spouse?
Buy self-help books?
Run to hide? OR are we to—take solace in the Lord?
Open God’s Holy Word.
Jacob knew his past, how he had stolen something that did not belong to him, and he was afraid of the wrath of his brother, Esau. So, under the cover of darkness, Jacob made the only decision he knew to make: he ran. Jacob took his wives (Leah & Rachel), his servants, his livestock, his children (all eleven), and he sent them to go across the river.
“Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.”
(Genesis 32: 24 NASB)
Jacob wrestled with all his strength; he was exhausted, hurting, and distraught. Do we ever face life-situations that seem so difficult, when we’re not even sure if it’s possible to stand? Have we ever wrestled all night long with “SOMETHING,” turning it over and over in our mind, wrestling until daybreak and reaching the morning, truly exhausted? Still, we have no answers, no way to a solution, and our spirit becomes most troubled.
“When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh;
(Genesis 32: 25-28 NASB)
so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.”
But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
So he said to him, “What is your name?”
And he said, “Jacob.”
He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel;
[he who strives with God]
for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”
There is stillness within a long night.
There are seasons of life when we wrestle for all we’re worth?
There are times when we become exhausted?
There are moments when we realize we will never control God.
May we lay it all down &
May we turn to the LORD’S teaching.
The psalmist reminds us: Be Still & Be Silent Before Holy God & See His Hand upon Everything.
“Come, behold the works of the LORD,
(The Psalms 46: 8-10 NASB)
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth,”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.”
Jacob realized he had seen God and lived.
Daybreak came & Jacob was limping.
Jacob’s hip was out of joint.
Jacob realized he will never control God.
Jacob emerged as a new man with a new name.
There are times when life becomes troubling, when we are not sure if can survive. Yes, there are seasons when we wrestle, losing sleep and become exhausted. When life becomes difficult and we cannot stand.
May we stop attempting to control our own lives and God.
May we learn from our LORD. &
May we Be Silent Before Holy God and listen to His teaching.
“But the LORD is in His holy temple.
(The Book of Habakkuk 2: 20 NASB)
Let all the earth be silent before Him.”