Limping (Happily) with God / Integrity
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Straight to the Cross
Limping (Happily) with God
by Tim Hall
His childhood home was just a short distance
away. It had been many years since he had been
there. But as Jacob lay down to sleep that night,
he couldn't deny he was frightened. After all,
when he left many years ago, his brother felt
very defrauded and had vowed to kill him. As far
as Jacob knew, nothing had changed between him
and Esau. He had trouble sleeping that night.
During the night, "a Man" accosted Jacob. They
struggled until it was nearly dawn. When the Man
asked Jacob to release him, Jacob refused. "I
will not let you go unless you bless me." The Man
then pronounced a blessing upon Jacob by giving
him a new name -- "Israel", the prince of God.
The blessing was bestowed because "you have
struggled with God and with men, and have
prevailed." In the process of the struggle,
though, Jacob's hip was thrown out of joint, and
he walked afterward with a limp. But as he limped
away, he recognized that he had been wrestling
with God Himself! (The account of this episode
can be read in Genesis 32:24-31.)
There are times when each of us is challenged to
"wrestle" with God. No, it's not actual physical
combat, as in the case of Jacob. But through the
trials that come our way, we are challenged to
confront our previously held notions of God and
his will for our lives. Not everyone accepts the
challenge. Many simply walk away from the scene,
deciding that God evidently doesn't love them as
they once thought, or else he wouldn't have
allowed this to happen. Some give up entirely on
the idea of God. These refuse to wrestle with God.
Those who choose to engage in the struggle will
be blessed. Note again that the Lord blessed
Jacob "for you have struggled with God . . . and
have prevailed." Don't conclude from this that
God can be defeated by man; that's not at all
what this teaches. Instead, God is shown as One
who sometimes pushes us a little farther than we
thought we could go so that we might grow. The
wise teacher assigns homework that looks too
demanding, but knows that those who struggle with
the assignment will learn much. God knows how
much wrestling we can endure. He also knows we
will be blessed for having engaged him in the
struggle.
Of course, like Jacob we may walk away from the
ordeal with a limp. In extraneous ways we will be
less than we were before the trial. But in our
souls we'll be joyful because we will know we've
been blessed by the Lord. His blessings are far
more glorious and longer-lasting than a perfect
gait. We are happy to limp, as long as we limp
with the Lord.
". . . Therefore most gladly I will rather boast
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake.
For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2
Corinthians 12:9,10, New King James Version).
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Integrity
by Greg Tidwell
Last month, some motorists in Michigan thought
they had found a gold mine. Discovering a
computer error that enabled them to swipe their
drivers' licenses instead of credit cards, they
filled their tanks at the Meijer chain without
paying. Over 100 people took advantage of this
"free" gasoline, costing Meijer thousands of
dollars.
Some of the culprits, many of them students from
Ann Arbor, filled up their tanks up to 15 times
over a three-week period. No one would ever know;
no one would get hurt.
There is, however, no such thing as a free tank
of gas. Beyond the Meijer Corporation taking a
loss, it so happened the information from each
driver's license was stored on the pump's
computer, permitting the police to identify the
offenders. The free gasoline came at a high price.
Temptation comes to all of us in different ways.
Often we feel that we can cut corners and no one
will know. The danger of being found out is not,
for Christians, the primary motivation for right
living. Sometimes our sins are uncovered
publicly, causing pain and embarrassment. At
other times our sins remain hidden to human eyes.
God, however, always knows everything. We really
have no secrets. As God's people we must always
at all times live our lives with the knowledge of
his presence. This outlook of faith will guide
our thoughts and actions, keeping us on the right
track. Integrity is not usually the easy way in
life, but it is the way that will be blessed by
God.
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