Who Am I?
I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared. Genesis 32:30
When something happens and you feel embarrassed or ashamed, has your first thought been, “It is not my fault because…” One of the hardest things for most of us to do is to admit our faults. It’s much easier to tell ourselves that life’s problems come from outside, from the people or circumstances around us. Sure, we’re not perfect—but who is? So we hide our sins from ourselves.
Jacob had become very good at hiding. Throughout his life, he had been a schemer. He knew how to manipulate people to get his way. But finally, in a strange wrestling match, God forced Jacob to recognize who he was.
In the Bible, names are a big deal. A name says something about a person’s identity and character. The name Jacob means “deceiver”. And finally, Jacob has to admit to himself and God, “Yes, that is who I am.”
Who are you? God asks the same question of each of us—not because He wants to embarrass us, but because He longs to transform us. When we come to God, when we admit our sin and our need for God’s grace, God gives us a new identity in Christ.
Jacob walked away from his wrestling match with a wound, but when God does the wounding, it is always for our good. And from that day onward, Jacob began to live with a new identity, one given by God’s grace.
May we see God using our struggles to transform us as we trust in His forgiveness and love.
Thank you, God, that You pursue and even confront us until we recognize our sin and our need for You. Thank You for Your forgiveness. In Your grace, give us a new identity in Christ. Amen.