Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."
Jacob spends an entire night wrestling with a stranger and refuses to let go, even after his hip is wrenched out of its socket. Whatever else this strange scene is about, the demand at its center is clear: "I will not let you go unless you bless me." And instead of a blessing, he gets something arguably bigger — a new name.
"Israel" means, roughly, one who has struggled with God and with men, and has prevailed. That's a strange kind of naming ceremony. It doesn't erase the struggle or explain it away. It builds the struggle right into the new identity — as if wrestling honestly with God, instead of walking away from him, is itself the mark of someone who belongs to him.
If your relationship to God so far has been more argument than agreement, more resistance than surrender, this story suggests that doesn't disqualify you. It might be closer to the actual starting point than you think.
If you've been wrestling with God more than trusting him, what if the wrestling itself is where this actually begins?
A short video on this is coming soon — for now, read on.