I Want To Be Satisfied With The Life I Live, part 2

In today's reading (Genesis 32) we're introduced to a transformed Jacob. The Jacob we know from earlier is the one who traded soup for Esau's birthright, who stole his father's blessing from his brother and whose name we learn is "deceiver."  He's since lived in the land of his mother's family where he got a taste of his own medicine as uncle Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah and took advantage of him by changing his wages ten times. This process seemed to have changed Jacob for the better through the years, as we see him now as a much humbler man. In chapter 32, Jacob's humbler demeanor was clear as he referred to Esau as his "lord" and to himself as Esau's "servant."

In the middle of the two brother's reunion, as Jacob demonstrates his new and improved self, God blesses him. We see the blessing in verses 24–32 as Jacob wrestles with the man of God. It's an amazing test of strength--or maybe pure grit--to have wrestled all night long without giving up. In the past, I've rationalized that Jacob received the blessing through force, strength or pure determination. I now realize there is a different reason for Jacob's blessing having recently re-read Abraham's blessing being promised in chapter 12, the blessing being given only after growing in faith in chapter 22 and then the blessing realized in chapter 24. The blessing is experienced only after the change/transformation takes place. Jacob's blessing came just like his grandfather's came because he grew mature in his faith evidenced by change.

My question today is: In what area does God want me to grow?

I hope that we have the strength of character and the determination that comes with faith so that we too can experience all of the blessings that God has for us.