Life Capsule for Today Date:12th October, 2023
Theme: Life Lessons from Jacob (5)
Memory Verse Mark 8:36-37
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? KJV
Topic: Jacob’s Further Encounter at Peniel
Text- Mal 4:2
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. KJV
Words of the Ministry
From our lesson yesterday, Jacob eventually arrived Peniel where he fought an angel of the Lord, Peniel means face of God. So in this encounter, we can say Jacob sought and found the face of God, Same Jacob who 20 years ago gave God conditions of service now went searching and finding his God’s face. We need to emphasize some salient points concerning the encounter at bethel, first is that the angel that Jacob fought, the bible said Jacob wrestled till the breaking of the day, the account did not tell when the angel came but told us when the angel left because all along, the angel was waiting for Jacob to get to Peniel for this encounter. So is the Lord has waiting for many of us that didn’t take bethel serious, there is another opportunity at Peniel, for you to take advantage of it, you must seek the Lord with all your heart (Jer 29.13) .
Again another major event at bethel was that Jacob’s encounter led to a broken thigh, when we seek the Lord, the Lord doesn’t just give us what we want as we can see in the case of Jacob (Gen 32.9-12), he wanted the Lord to protect him from Esau and make his children great, he didn’t realize that the problem he had wasn’t external but internal, what he ought to fear wasn’t Esau but the Jacob nature in him. As he sought the Lord, the Lord had to break his thigh and when he demanded for a blessing, the Lord had to change his name. From that day, he began to use a rod and had a new name. That is quite instructive, while we seek a life of comfort, the Lord is rather bothered about our frame, God wants to make us something instead of give us something. His intention in eternity past was to make us like his son, in his image and likeness (Rom 8.28-30), this he does by the various experiences he makes us pass through. As we go through such experiences, we bear a new name, men see us differently, the you that was unreliable and lazy becomes a hardworking and trustworthy believer, it is not something we claim, it’s an encounter we must have and it only comes through several dealing at Peniel, saints of God, if truly you want to find rest in Christ, you must stop relying on the speed of your feet but on the speed of God’s rod. The speed of your feet could be your carnal nature or natural ability but when we wait on God, he replaces it with himself and then we find rest.
The sun was set in Jacob life at bethel 20 years earlier and was never mentioned to rise again, as an allegory we can apply this to mean that the 20 years Jacob lived in Haran, he lived for himself, he never cared for the light and direction of the Lord, he made his choices and suffered the consequences, Jacob lived in darkness despite being a child of covenant. At Peniel after his thigh was broken and his name changed, his sun arose (Gen 32.31). Halleluiah, the sun of righteousness arose and he had a change of life because he feared the name of the Lord. God brought healing to his life, took away the venom of lies and heel holding and gave him a new name Isreal which meant a prince of God or someone who wrestled with God. Jacob indeed wrestled with God just as many of us are wrestling with God, we are contending with God over many areas in our lives, marriage, ambition, education, business, call to ministry etc. Dear saint, the earlier we are broken the better, as we can’t have the desired new name and rest without conquering our self.
Bible in One Year: Mathew 27-28
For further fellowship send us an email on godmanvideos@gmail.com or visit our youtube channel: @godmanmedia. You can also interact with us by dropping your comments on our facebook page. Our physical meeting, Word feast comes up every Wednesday by 5pm and Prayer Gym every Saturday by 7am while PENIEL comes up once a month, every last Sunday of the month from 4pm to 6.30pm at Suite A10, Ahser Office Complex, beside Living Faith Church, Opposite Hassan Stores, Arab Road, Kubwa Abuja.