Daily Manna 24 April
KEY VERSE: “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.” – Genesis 32:25
READ: Genesis 32:21-32 (KJV)
21. So went the present over before him; and himself lodged that night in the company.
22. And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.
23. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
24. And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25. 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.
26. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
32. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day; because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
The attainment of a noble objective requires good planning, steadfast pursuit and an iron-cast determination. In pressing toward the objective, one must be able to ward off every distracting intrusion for maximum concentration and channelling of all energy and resources towards this singular objective. Jacob put away all entanglements – his wives, children and entire – family and was left alone.
This strategy paid off; soon a man appeared the next moment to engage him in a wrestling all through the night. In the end, he got a new name – Israel “for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed”. Jacob’s night of wrestling with God’s angel resulted in divine blessings in his life. From then on, his life was never the same. He now realised he was to depend on God, not on his craftiness.
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD.” Today, we do not have to wrestle physically in prayer for God to bless us. But we can fervently and persistently call upon His name, believe implicitly on Him and exercise childlike faith. However, we must ensure that we remove all likely obstacles like sin, unbelief and deal with them appropriately.
Jacob may have had only a night with the Lord to receive his breakthrough from heaven. But the real lesson is that we need more than a one-off encounter with God to enjoy continuous benefits – spiritual and material – from our Lord. His blessings are to be sought for in earnest prayer of faith every day.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God is always standing by to answer our prayer of faith.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Romans 10-12
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – God is Standing By – by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 24 April 2021
