Jacob Walked with a Limp

Consider Jacob's life … his beloved wife Rachel died while giving birth; his hip was permanently dislocated as he wrestled the Angel of the Lord; his meeting with his brother Esau was frightening; and when he finally made it back home after all those years in Canaan, he discovered that his mother Rebekah had died. His father Isaac also soon died.

God uses affliction and suffering in our lives to teach us the truth. Psalm 119:71 … "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes."

Many do not agree with, and I'm not real sure I agree with this thought myself, but it has been said that … "God uses affliction as His tool for prompting us to repent and turn back to Him."

If this is true … can there be any worse punishment in this life than to be untouched by need, suffering or testing? Could anything be more tragic than to be forgotten or overlooked by God? What if God didn't even bother to bring any type of an awakening to you?

Affliction then, when you think about it is a blessing in disguise.

The starting point in life's lessons is usually some type of affliction. The very first lesson you will learn is, (a.) there is a God; and (b.) you are not.

Should you forget this lesson, you may be revisited with affliction to help you begin again. Notice I said you may be, not will be revisited with whatever God uses to keep you focused on the truth. And the truth is … God wants total and complete surrender to Him in all things.

God's law in the past, compelled people to serve Him. But the law is now transformed into grace. It's your choice … but God may use a life lesson to help you make the right choice. Our way in this world is often painful, and these life lessons often cause us, if not pain … then heartache.

Hebrews 12:5-11 … "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

The exhortation spoken of in Hebrews is Proverbs 3:11-12 … "My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."

God has various ways of rebuking, reproving, chastening and correcting His children; sometimes by His Spirit, sometimes by His Word and sometimes it's through His Providence … including the chastisement of affliction.

Now let's get down to where we live. What is affliction? It can be a state of distress due to some adversity; trouble, hardship, torment, trial or tribulation … even suffering physically or emotionally. What about sickness or disease?

Some teachers throughout the centuries have taught that God afflicts people because of sin with sickness and disease. No … I don't subscribe to that teaching. God doesn't make you sick. God could if He wanted to … but instead had His Son Jesus bear all sickness, disease and sin on the cross so we wouldn't have to.

Just for the sake of argument … let's say God wants one of His children to give up a sin that he really enjoys. It doesn't matter what it is; he wants to hang on to it and won't listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to him about this sin. So what is God going to do?

Many of us are slow to learn, and God is patient with those who need discipline; but in time … well … as one old saint said many years ago, "God afflicts not willingly, but if it must be done, let Satan do it."

Am I saying that God "allows" affliction to come? I guess I am. It is a life lesson. God sends some, Satan is allowed to send some, and life in general sends some. And we have to deal with all of them.

Now let me return to Jacob whom I started with. Notice that after Jacob encountered the Lord and wrestled with Him all night, he was touched, in fact wounded by the Lord so that … "he walked with a limp" ... and so it is with the walk of faith. Who among us has not been broken or wounded in our hearts either before or after coming to know the Lord?

A.W. Tozer once wrote … "It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He's hurt him deeply." I'm sure if you could ask Jacob, he would tell you about the Lord touching him deeply before he received his blessing. But he did receive his blessing. (Genesis 32:24-30)

Someone once said … "Beware of those who lead you spiritually, who do not walk with a limp." That's how we know they have encountered God.


Comments welcome.