State Subject: Being Blessed in the Midst of your struggles.
Introduction: In life we all have struggles, regardless of who we are, whether we are young or old. No matter if we are male or female, black or white, in this life we all have struggles. In other words, we all have issues in our life that we wrestle with each day. Some of us had to wrestle this morning just to get out of bed. For some of us, it is a struggle each morning with what we are going to wear.
Some of us struggles with what we want to eat; and some of us even struggle with whether to eat or not. Some of us struggle with fear of failure. We struggle with right and wrong. You know church; some of us even struggle with where to go to church to worship the Lord. Some even struggle with whether to go to church at all. Yes my brothers and my sisters, life is full of struggles.
And you know church; struggles in life did not start with our generation for people have been struggling for a long time. For even the Apostle Paul said he had to struggle, for he said “what I do I do not understand, that I will to do, that I do not do, and that I hate; that I do. Paul said that the good he wanted to do that he did not do; and the evil that he did not want to do that he found himself doing.” In other words, Paul was saying that sometimes I want to go; but I find myself not going; and sometime I find myself wanting to stay; but I find myself going.
Church, I do believe we find ourselves struggling the same way sometime today, for there are times when some of us really want to go to church; but we find ourselves going to Wal-Mart instead.
Young folks, I realize that there is times when some of you really want to stay home and study but you find yourself going to places you know you should not go.
My sisters, I know that there are times when we want to visit the sick and shut in; but we find ourselves staying at home.
Stewards, there are times when we want to give but we find ourselves holding on to every dime.
Trustees, is it true that there are times when we want to build up; but we find ourselves tearing down?
What is it that makes us struggle so hard sometime? It is sin; and who is it that tempts us daily with sin? It is the devil for the Bible tells us that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, who is the devil himself.
Yes church, on this Christian journey we are going to have many struggles; for the closer we try to walk with the Lord; the harder Satan will try all he can to detour us from reaching our goal.
However, today, we want to talk about being blessed in the midst of our struggles.
In our text this morning, we find a man name Jacob who was faced with many struggles as he grew to be the man God wanted him to be. For according to Scriptures Jacob even struggled with his twin brother Esau while still in his mother’s womb. And as the record reflects, Jacob struggled all through life.
The reason Jacob struggled so much is that God had a purpose for his life; for Jacob was the third link in God’s plan to start a nation from Abraham. However, Jacob being like so many of us this afternoon, even though God had a divine purpose for his life; Jacob wanted to live independent of that purpose and live the way he wanted to. And like many of us when faced with a struggle in life, he relied on his own resources rather than going to God for help. However, we learn from Jacob’s life that security does not lie in the accumulation of goods but from leaning and depending on God.
Another thing we also learn from studying Jacob’s life, is that anytime we try to live our life independent from the will of God we are going to be faced with some major struggles and in those struggles we are going to find our self all alone.
However, if we are living according to God’s purpose for our life we will find that at the most difficult time in our life the Lord will lift us up and carry us through. However, if we are going on our own, then we are on our own in our struggles of life.
Nevertheless, we can be blessed in the midst of our struggles if we do what Jacob did in our text.
The first thing we learn from Jacob is that he got real with God. Jacob was about to meet his brother Esau for the first time in 20 years and he was struggling with fear, for the last time he saw his brother he was mad and threatening to kill him. So, Jacob got real with God. He was struggling with the fear for his life by his brother, there fore he prayed in verse 11-12 O Lord, please rescue me from my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to kill me, along with my wives and children. However, you promised to treat me kindly and to multiply my descendant until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore-too many to count.
When we are struggling with a bad relationship we need to get real with God and say Father I have gotten myself into a bad relationship, save me from it. If we are struggling with drugs and alcohol, get rid with God and tell him Father I am addicted to drugs and alcohol save me from it. If you are struggling with problems on your job, get real with God and tell him Father you said you would never leave me nor forsake me that you would be with me always even until the end of this age. If you are struggling with a disobedience child, get real with God tell him Father you said that you would bless me going in and coming out; that no only would I be blessed by my children and their children children. Yes church we need to get real with God and we can be blessed in the midst of our struggles.
Next, we see that Jacob got rid of everything and everybody and was alone.
Read 32: verses22-24a and he arose that night and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone;
In the midst of our struggles, we need to get alone with God; so that we can pray and hear His small soft voice speak to us.
Church the problems so many of us have today, are we always wanted to be in the midst of a crowd. Nevertheless, every now and then you need to steal away; go into that secret closet and pray Father I stretch my hand to thee no other help I know. For Jesus taught that when we pray we should not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corner of the streets, that they may be seen by men. But you when you pray go into your room, and when you have closed your door pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. In the midst of your struggles church steal way; steal way from the mess and pray secretly to your Father who is in heaven, and you will be bless in the midst of your struggles.
And after we get real with God; get alone with God, then we can began to want to know more about God for then we start to see God for who He really is and in midst of the struggle we should to hold on to God.
Read verse 24-26
For church once we get real with God; and we get alone with God; and hold on to God we will find that even in the midst of our struggles we are being blessed. And when day come we will have a new name; and a new way of walking yes church we will sing that song if anybody ask you just who I am you just tell them that I am redeemed; bought with a price; my whole life has change. I am a new creature; I am a child of God. Glory; have you tried him, ain’t he alright! Do you have struggles this afternoon, is there trouble anywhere, then I like to recommend Jesus, I like to recommend you to the Lord.
