Slideshow image

From: The Message/Remix: Solo, An Uncommon Devotional Day 2

Read
Read the passage, Genesis 32:22-32, carefully.  Here is a link to that reading in an online bible:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen.+32%3A22-32&version=NRSV

Think
Read the passage aloud this time and pause after each of the three questions in the text (verses 27, 29).  Jacob, whose name means “manipulator,” had made elaborate plans to reconcile with Esau in a generous, peaceful way.  Then he stayed behind, which was uncharacteristic of such a quintessential deal maker.  There with the night sounds and the smell of the brook, Jacob encountered “a man.” Was this man an angel, a God-man, Jesus?  (It’s okay that we don’t know for sure.)

1.    Picture yourself in this passage.  Are you Jacob? Are you an invisible bystander watching it all?
2.    What moment in this passage resonates with you most?
-    wanting desperately to be blessed 
-    wanting desperately to know more of God
-    other:

Pray
Depending on what resonated with you, pray about what you desperately want from God.  To avoid letting your mind wander, try writing down your prayer, listening for words from God in response.

Live
Sit quietly before God, imagining the night sounds and the smell of running water.  Try to be comfortable with God in this wild atmosphere.  What does it feel like to trust and to reveal the desires of your heart?  Be honest if you feel uncomfortable.  What would you like it to feel like? Rest in that.

Photo by Johnny McClung on Unsplash