Strivingwith God

Genesis32:22-32

Striving with God

•We know God doesn’t cause difficulties.▫“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am

tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (Js 1:13).

•God uses difficulties to shape & to mold us.▫“We know that all things work together for

good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).

Striving with God

•Jacob’s not the best of men as we’re introduced to him.▫He tricks his brother into giving up his

birthright (Gen 25:29-34).▫Rebekah & Jacob trick Isaac into giving Jacob

Esau’s blessing (Gen 27:1-29).•But, “Striving with God,” changes Jacob.

▫He gets a new name & new identity.▫When God instructs him to build an altar, Jacob

has his family put away their pagan gods (Gen 35:1-4).

▫He dies with great faith: “I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD” (Gen 49:18).

God willscar usin order

to shape us.

Genesis32:22-32

God willscar usin order

to shape us.

Striving with God

•God disciplines us out of great love (Heb 12:5b-10).

•Struggles are an opportunity to rely on God (2 Cor 1:8-10).

•Struggles are an opportunity for our character to grow (Js 1:2-4).

•Struggles are an opportunity to learn to comfort others (2 Cor 1:3-4).

•Struggles are an opportunity to grow in prayer (Js 5:16b-18).

Striving with God

How would our lives be impacted from fully understanding that “God will scar us in order to shape us”?