April 22: If the Man is Right, His World Will be Right

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him."(Gen 32:24,25)


There is the story of a minister who was trying to prepare his sermon one Saturday morning with difficulty. His wife had gone out to shop and he was left with his young son who was restless. To occupy his son for a while and free himself to finish his sermon, he had an idea. He picked up an old magazine that had the map of the world on a page and tore that page into several little bits.  He then scattered the little pieces all over the floor and told his little son to pick the pieces up and reassemble the map of the world. He figured it would take the boy a long while, buying him enough time to finish preparing his sermon. 

To his surprise, the boy came into his study within a few minutes with the puzzle reassembled. He asked his son, "how did you figure it out so quickly?" the boy replied, "It was easy. There was the picture of a man at the back of the map. I just put the picture of the man together and turned the paper around. I figured that if I got the man right, the world will be right" 

The preacher smiled a gave the boy a quarter. "You have given me my sermon tomorrow, " he said. "If a man is right, his world will be right"

Sometimes we pray to change things outside us but the real change that needs to happen is within. Something in us must break before we see our desire fulfilled. We are the ones that need righting before our world could be righted. 

Jacob was praying for the blessing. He wanted a change in the circumstances of his life. He needed intervention concerning his brother Esau who was seeking to kill him. God never addressed all that. Instead God focused on changing Jacob himself. He changed his name and broke his hip! His name represented his identity, the scar was a permanent reminder of that night. 

What are you praying for God to change in your life? Your spouse, children, your boss or finances. The answer to the change you. When you change, your situation will follow suit. You are the one enforcing the prevailing situations in your life now. God doesn't want to deal with symptoms. He wants to deal with the root cause. Something might need to be broken in you: a habit, a pattern of thinking, an attitude, pride, selfishness, self-sufficiency etc. This usually take time and during those times, you will feel your answer is delayed or not coming. God is not withholding your answer from you but before He can pour the new wine of you life, your wineskin must change, else the wineskin would tear and the wine be spilled. God doesn't waste resources. That's why He will change you first because when you are right, your world will be right.

Decision of the Day

I will submit to God's dealing with me. I will let Him change my attitude and any other thing in my life that needs to change. I will cooperate with Him to transform me. Then my circumstances will be transformed.