Genesis 32:25-26, "When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak. But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.'"

Think

"God doesn't give us what we want; he gives us what we need." Yesterday we talked about the importance of letting God break us, so he can bless us. And who doesn't want to be blessed? It feels great to have good things coming into your life! But sometimes the blessing is hard to recognize at first, because it may be what we need and not necessarily what we want in the moment. Like Jacob, we all fight against God in different ways. We do things to shut him out or turn away from him. Or, we don't pursue the things that will draw us closer to him – like reading our Bible, praying, or coming to church. But God wasn't wrestling with Jacob for fun or to bully him; he wanted to give him more than he was asking for. He didn't want to just give him something, he wanted to give him someone. Jacob asked for a blessing. God gave him a relationship. How many times have you wanted the blessing more than the relationship with the blessor? God knows what we need before we need it and it is always better than what we want! God promised Jacob that he would walk with him through every moment of his life. And, in that moment, he gave Jacob even more than he had asked for.

Act

Take a few moments and write down the times in your life you've wanted one thing and God put you through pain to get you somewhere else. Think about the growth you went through during or after these times and how it's shaped your relationship with him today.

Pray

Dear God, thank you for always giving me what I need even when I put up a fight. Help me to always want you more than your blessings. In Jesus' name, Amen.