Don’t let life’s struggles rob you of God’s blessings.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. Deuteronomy 28:6
The account of Jacob’s life fulfils the blessing of Deuteronomy 28, he was blessed by God leaving his father’s land, dream of ‘Jacob’s ladder’, with a promise from God Genesis 28:15. Twenty years later he wrestled with a man all night at the Ford of Jabbok and prevailed.
24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. … 28 Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because YOU HAVE STRUGGLED WITH GOD AND MEN AND HAVE OVERCOME.’ Genesis 32
Jacob and his family alone, were God’s people on earth and God did bless them, but Jacob had struggled under Laban and now he’d wrestled until daybreak and overcame. I believe Derek Prince said that ‘Bible promises’ are only for over-comers!
So Jacob had to meet his brother Esau (a type of the Carnal man, placed no value on spiritual blessings) with a painful hip, his wives and young children and all his flocks and herds. Esau was arriving with 400 men and Jacob hadn’t spoken to him since he’d taken his father’s blessing – no wonder he was afraid. Jacob met his brother in absolute weakness, though he still organised his family with Rachel and Joseph in last place, but God protected Jacob and kept him and everything he had.
God doesn’t bless us so others can then take the blessings from us. We may be surrounded by problems, but He will keep us in our struggles.
9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12
The mighty apostle Paul, knew what it was to be weak before God and yet trust Him.
A scripture that has encouraged me recently is one of David’s psalms;
11 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me. Psalm 41
Don’t be discouraged if you have blessings spoken over you and immediately face struggles, God hasn’t abandoned you, whatever your situation. Hold on and He’ll help you through your struggles.
24 ‘“‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face towards you
and give you peace.’”
27 ‘So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.’