Meet your enemy – God. No I’m not committing blasphemy or flirting with heresy. God is often our greatest enemy.
Jacob always thought someone else was his problem. Esau was his problem. Isaac was his problem. Leah was his problem. Laban was his problem. Now he has come full circle and once again thinks Esau is his problem. Actually I think he had lived every day of his life in Uncle Laban’s house looking over his shoulder for a vengeful Esau. He had left Esau but Esau had not left him.
It’s a short mental stroll from considering someone your problem to considering them your enemy. It is real easy to feel so put upon that we come to believe all our difficulties are resulting from one or two bad relationships. Why does all this stuff keep happening to me? Why do the same kinds of troublesome people keep showing up in my life? Why do I continue to have the same kind of conflicts over and over again? Why? It may be that these other people were never your problem at all. God may have been your problem (and yes, in a sense, your enemy) all along.
You see, God loves you way too much to leave you as you are. He will always take you as you are but He will never leave you there! To change us and free us to live for His glory God will continue to place what someone referred to as irregular people in our lives until we learn the lessons we have refused to learn up to this moment. Simply put: It ain’t your father, mother, brother, sister, in-law, teacher or boss that is your enemy, it is God until you quit fighting against Him.
Still the slow learner, Jacob took refuge on the far side of the Jabbok. Along side the stream he wrestled a man (32: 24). Who was it? I’m certain Jacob thought he was once again having a fitful night struggling with Esau but before the day broke Jacob was broken by the One he now recognized as God face to face (32: 30).
How did Jacob end his fight with God? By admitting he was fighting God. When asked his name he answered honestly (cf. 27: 18 – 19) and said, “Swindler, crook, cheat, that’s who I am!” That’s essentially what his name meant (25: 26). With that admission God elevated him to friend status and declared him royalty (32: 28).
How do you win your fight with God? By losing it and acknowledging who you are so God can make you who He wants you to be.