FEBRUARY 10 STOP STRUGGLING

In Genesis 32:28, the angel told Jacob that he already had something that by human effort he was still struggling to attain.   Jacob did not need to struggle for God's power.  He  already had sufficient power, given to him years previously by the Lord.

As a believer, God has given you His power to meet every challenge in life. Could it be that this God-given ability to overcome any problem or circumstance is lying dormant within you, just waiting for you to recognize and activate it?

When will you stop struggling?  When will you stop wrestling to obtain God’s power to help you  face your circumstances? When will you stop battling in your own strength for spiritual breakthroughs in your ministry? These things do not come by struggling, but by faith in the power of God's promises.

Jacob's problem was that he was not partaking of the provision that already had been given to him through the covenant blessings of God. What Jacob needed to do, what the Church of Jesus Christ needs to do, and what you need to do is realize the tremendous power God has placed within you and begin to act upon that knowledge.

For years, Jacob did not realize the truth of his position in God.   He lived up to the meaning of his name--Jacob–a manipulator, deceiver, sinner, and a fearful man. That’s who Jacob thought he was and why he acted the way he did, always running, hiding, manipulating, and being tormented by fear. 

The Angel of the Lord  knew who was wrestling with him, so why did he ask Jacob for his name?  Because Jacob didn’t realize who he actually was in God.   The Angel of the Lord asked his name so that Jacob would be forced to answer.  The angel said, “What is your name?” Jacob said, “It is Jacob.” The angel said, “No, you are mistaken. Your name is Israel."

In essence, the angel said, “You think your name is Jacob? Well, it’s not!  God has changed your name from Jacob, meaning the "deceiver", and renamed you Israel--meaning that you have power with God and man!  You have supernatural power and you don’t even know it! You are running, hiding, and manipulating--and all the while, inside of you, you have the supernatural power of God Almighty available to draw upon.” 

This is the condition of many believers. They do not realize who they are in Christ.  They do not comprehend the meaning of the name by which they are called:  Christians, members of the church of Jesus Christ.  If only you would see yourself as you are seen by God!  God knows you not as you are, but as you will become when you learn to access His resident power within you.  But you must come to the place where you can recognize this yourself.

So starting today, let there be no more running, hiding,  and manipulating. Inside of you resides the  supernatural power of God that is sufficient to face every circumstance of life.