Blessing comes not through grasping, but through trusting and being willing to wait on God.

Have you ever wrestled with God? What does it really mean to be blessed by God? These are two areas we have explored in depth in our study of Jacob this week. We have seen him transform from a selfish man who would manipulate, lie, or do just about anything to receive a blessing for himself to a man who surrenders his entire being for the purpose of God’s greater plan. His wrestling match with God is pivotal in this story, but it is not the same as what we might call “wrestling with God.”

Typically, when we “wrestle” with God, it is about our rebellion, disobedience, or the struggle between our will and his. It is like butting heads with God until we finally surrender ourselves completely to him and find the true peace and fulfillment found only in the sweet spot of his perfect will.

Blessing is not merely getting things from God, but experiencing the presence of God.

As we progress in our relationship with God, our spiritual growth is much like our physical growth. For example, as toddlers, our world revolved around our self-centered and immediate wants, and we would cry or throw fits until we got it. But then, as we grew up, we became more aware of the needs of others around us, and we developed an entirely new concept of what it means to be blessed. Spiritually speaking, we grow more and more into the image of Christ and learn that the greatest blessing of all is an intimate relationship with God.

Unfortunately, in some of today’s churches and religious TV programming, the culture is ripe for “spiritual toddlers” to continually demand the “stuff” of God for their own gratification rather than to seek intimacy with God himself. Books are written, and heresy is too often embraced because these “toddlers” demand to be “spoon-fed” with a feel-good message that tickles their ears instead of allowing themselves to partake of spiritual meat that will help them mature as followers of Christ. We must submit to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives if we want to grow.

Blessing is not God giving to me but God working in me, changing me into the image of Christ.

In our study this week, we have traced the marvelous progression of maturity in the life of Jacob, the Deceiver, into the man God would later rename Israel, the namesake of God’s chosen people through whom nations of the world would be truly blessed.

We observed:

• A greedy trickster who would step in front of his brother to receive his birthright and blessing.
• A traveling man who dreamt of angels ascending and descending into heaven, and who received affirmation from God about the covenant that was made with his father and grandfather. He would be in the direct line of the Messiah!
• A successful business man who prospered under the employment of his uncle.
• A family man who loved one of his four wives deeply, and who fathered a clan of offspring who would each represent one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
• A brother who swallowed his pride and reconciled with the one he had hurt most.
• The one who wrestled with God and “won.”

As we dig into these precepts in our small groups this week, may our hearts be tenderized and transformed, just as Jacob began to surrender and place his trust in God rather than his wily tactics. May we be transformed into women who are “willing to do whatever it takes to know God personally and intimately in Jesus Christ, which is God’s greatest blessing.” May our identities be defined not by our “struggle to get things from God” but by an identity that “flows out of submission and surrender to God.”

Have a super blessed week!

To be blessed is not to live free of struggle, but to cling to Christ in the midst of the struggle.

Week 8 Discussion Questions

Here is a preview of what we will be talking about in our small groups for WEEK 5.

ICE BREAKER:  Just for fun, if you were to join the circus, which act would you most like to perform?

QUESTION 1: Jacob’s life was marked by struggle even before he was born, and throughout his life we saw him struggle. God said that Jacob struggled with men and with God and “prevailed” or “won.” In what way(s) did Jacob “win” in his struggle with God?” How do we “win” with God?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight… In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. Ephesians 1:3-4, 11 NIV

 QUESTION 2: Over and over again in Genesis we are seeing that God does not choose whom he will use based on human custom or personal virtue. Why do you think that is, and on what does he base his choice? How does this encourage you in your desire to be used by God?

QUESTION 3: (pp. 221-224) Many people talk about wrestling with God, when they’re really talking about rebelling against God or resisting God. We notice that it is God who initiated the wrestling match with Jacob, and it was certainly purposeful. How would you explain God’s purpose in dealing with Jacob in this way, and how is this vastly different from the way we might talk about our struggling with God’s ways, God’s Word, or God’s plans as “wrestling with God”?

 QUESTION 4: (pp. 206-207) In Genesis 28, God made six promises to Jacob, and in verses 16-22, we see Jacob’s response. In some ways we see signs that he is changing for the good, but in other ways, we can see his need for further growth. What are some positive changes, and what are some ways Jacob shows he still has room to grow?

 QUESTION 5: (pp. 225-226) In John 4:12, the Samaritan woman at the well asked Jesus, “Do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” What are some comparisons we find between Jacob and Jesus, and how is Jesus greater?

QUESTION 6: What impacted you most from our study of Jacob this week?

Week 9 Assignments

LEVEL 1:

1. Study WEEK 9 – Joseph, Read Genesis 37-50
2. Personal Bible Study, pp. 233-236
3. Teaching Chapter: Can Any Good Come Out of This? pp. 237-253
4. Participate in a small group. (Discussing Week 8)

 LEVEL 2:

1. Look for daily activities in the Heart to Heart Facebook group.
2. Watch “Quick Study” video from Genesis 35-37, Jacob Makes a Promise
3. Watch “Quick Study” video from Genesis 38-40, Joseph’s Bad Luck
4. Watch “Quick Study” video from Genesis 44-47, Jacob Blesses Pharaoh
5. Watch “Quick Study” video from Genesis 48-50, Blessings and Curses

LEVEL 3:

1. Scripture memory of the week: How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
   Whose hope is in the Lord his God. Psalm 146:5 NASB
2. SOAP Scriptures: See here for instructions and examples.
   1. Monday: Read Genesis 37-38, SOAP 37:10-11
   2. Tuesday: Read Genesis 39-41, SOAP 39:22-23
   3. Wednesday: Read Genesis 42-44, SOAP 44:33-34
   4. Thursday: Read Genesis 45-47, SOAP 45:5
   5. Friday: Read Genesis 48-50, SOAP 50:20
3. (Optional): Watch Video, Week 9

 LEVEL 4:

1. Read Genesis, chapters 1-25
2. Daily journaling or blogging about how God speaks to you through His Word

COMING SOON!

Keep an eye out for a very special announcement coming soon about future Bible studies at Heart to Heart! It’s exciting!!!

I hope to see you in a small group this week!