Proverbs 10:22, ‘It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it’.
Let us see the lives of three people, whom God blessed.
- Jacob:
Genesis 28:15, ‘Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”’
This was the promise of God to Jacob when he left his home to start a life of his own – that He will not let go of him, until He has been able to do what He has promised. Let us now look at the passage, where God finally blesses him after a long span of hard times in Jacob’s life.
Genesis 32:24-31, ‘Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.”’
We know Jacob was running away from Laban. He was even cheated by Laban. Later, we see that God met with Jacob. He broke Jacob- his thigh was dislocated from the socket. His mobility was hindered. He leaned on his staff. Now Jacob reached a point where he asked God to bless him. Now, his identity was changed after the Lord’s blessing. In his utter helplessness, he met with God. Now his life is changed. Peniel means ‘face of God’. Jacob says, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life is preserved’. He was able to see God in the depth of helplessness. Jacob learnt to worship God from that moment until his death by leaning on his staff.
Hebrews 11:21, ‘By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff’.
God is working in our lives too. We also need to be enlightened by His Word, every day, to be able to see the face of God. We will be able to see God when we seek Him in the depths of our struggles. Finally, when he did experience God, he learned to worship God in his weakness.
- Moses:
Moses is another person whom God blessed. But, he also had to go through a time of breaking. Let us look at a passage where Moses talks to God in His brokenness.
Exodus 4:10-15, ‘Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do’.
Moses was once was a prince in Egypt. But, here, he says that he never was eloquent, and that he is slow of speech. Even when God tells him that He will be with his mouth, Moses asks to be relieved of this responsibility. And, then we read that the anger of the Lord burned against Moses. Though his helpless was brought on by the sovereign work of God, God had to discipline him in His anger.
We may also experience the wrath of God while He nudges us along the way of the cross. But, that should not disappoint us. God may not be disappointed with us, and He is not going to give up on us, when we conclude that we cannot please Him.
- Peter:
Peter is another person who also was led along the way of the cross. Let us look at a few events about Peter that happened before the Jesus was arrested by the Roman soldiers.
Mark 14:27-31, ‘And Jesus *said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’ 28 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 29 But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.” 30 And Jesus *said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.” 31 But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.’
We see here that Peter and the other disciples kept saying that they will not deny Jesus, or fall away from going with Him. Lets now look at a passage that describes what happened while Jesus was being arrested.
John 18:10, ‘Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”’
Matthew 26:52-54, ‘Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”’
Peter did, indeed, try to stand by Jesus and defend Him. But, Jesus asked him to put away the sword. And, later, we know how Peter denies Jesus. But, even in that depth of His failure, He sees Jesus’s face. And, Jesus is looking at Him. But, He is not disappointed with Him. Peter probably guessed that Jesus is praying for him.
In the depths of our troubles, we need to turn our eyes towards Jesus. And we will find ourselves face to face with Him.
Hebrews 12:2, ‘fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God’.
He did not enjoy the cross but He endured the cross. And, he did it for the joy set before Him. Let us look only at Jesus and how He faced the temptations and then we can stop complaining. God is working in us through these sufferings to make us like Jesus. Let our hearts be joyful to know that this is the ultimate purpose for all our suffering. Jesus, Himself, learned obedience through suffering.
1 Peter 2:21-23, ‘For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously’;
Jesus is our example, and He kept entrusting Himself to God. Let us also keep entrusting and submitting ourself to God in all things.
Then we will not have any sorrows for what God has take us through. We will be rich with spiritual blessings, and not have any regrets.
1 Corinthians 15:10, ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me’.
May this be our testimony at the end of our lives – that I am what I am by the grace of God. He will make more loving, more merciful, more patient. And, at the end of it all, we can only say that I am what I am by the grace of God.
