The man who fought with God – one of the greatest stories in the Bible

the man who fought with God the extraordinary Saga of Jacob a fascinating account that remains one of the greatest stories told in the pages of the Bible this narrative is not just the chronicle of a life filled with challenges deceit and personal quests but also a deep reflection on the essence of Faith human struggle and spiritual transformation Jacob's life serves as a mirror to our own Journeys revealing how the moments of greatest adversity can become the pillars for a true encounter with the Divine from his birth marked by the premonition of a life of rivalries

to the iconic struggle in the dimness of the night where he faces not just a physical adversary but the very essence of his soul if this type of content about the teachings of the Bible interests you I ask for your support with your subscription and don't forget to activate the Bell so you won't miss any of our upcoming videos Jacob is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 25 when Rebecca Jacob's mother was pregnant with him and his twin brother Esau she asked God why her two babies were fighting in her womb God replied that

the animosity between the two brothers foreshadowed the two Nations that would come from them Jacob would be the ancestor of Israel and Esau of Edom according to Genesis 36 moreover Esau the older brother would become the servant of Jacob the younger brother according to Genesis 25: 23 Genesis 25 is the account of the lineage of Abraham's son Isaac Abraham became the father of Isaac and Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebecca daughter of bethuel the aramean from padanaram and sister of laan the aramean Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife

because she was Barren the Lord answered his prayer and his wife Rebecca became pregnant the babies jostled each other within her and she said why is this happening to me so she went to inquire of the Lord the Lord said to her two nations are in your womb and two peoples from within you will be separated one people will be stronger than the other and the older will serve the younger when the time came for her to give birth there were twin boys in her womb the first to come out was red and his whole

body was like a hairy garment so they named him Esau after this his brother came out with his hand grasping Esau's heel so he was named Jacob Isaac was 60 years old when Rebecca gave birth to them the boys grew up and Esau became a skilled Hunter a man of the Open Country while Jacob preferred to stay at home among the tents Isaac who had a taste for Wild game loved Esau but Rebecca loved Jacob once when Jacob was cooking some stew Esau came in from the Open Country famished he said to Jacob quick let

me have some of that red stew I'm famished that is why he was also called Edom Jacob's character is portrayed in the Bible as associated with deceit and trickery from his birth until his struggle with God in Genesis 32: 24- 29 Jacob's most infamous deception were committed against his twin brother Esau in exchange for his Birthright as the eldest son which was a double portion of his father Isaac's inheritance Jacob offered his hungry brother a bowl of soup according to Genesis 25: 29-34 once when Jacob was cooking some stew Esau came in from the Open

Country famished he said to Jacob quick let me have some of that red stew I'm famished the that is why he was also called Edom Jacob replied first sell me your Birthright Esau said look I am about to die what good is the birthright to me but Jacob said swear to me first so he swore an oath to him selling his Birthright to Jacob then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew he ate and drank and then got up and left thus Esau despised his Birthright moreover Jacob deprived Esau of his father's blessing

which Esau was entitled to receive according to Genesis 27: 1-29 when Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see he called for Esau his oldest son and said to him my son here I am he replied Isaac said I am now an old man and do not know the day of my death now then get your equipment your quiver and bow and go out to the Open Country to hunt some wild game for me prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to

eat so that I may give you my blessing before I die now Rebecca was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau when Esau went out to the Open Country to hunt game and bring it back Rebecca said to her son Jacob look I overheard your father speaking to your brother Esau saying bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die now my son listen carefully and do what I tell you go to the flock and

bring me two young goats so I can prepare some tasty food for your father just the way he likes it then take it to your father to eat so that he may give you his Blessing before he dies Jacob said to Rebecca his mother but my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin what if my father touches me me I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing his mother said to him my son let the curse fall on me just do

what I say go and get them for me so he went and got them and brought them to his mother and she prepared some tasty food just the way his father liked it then Rebecca took the best clothes of Esau her older son which she had in the house and put them on her younger son Jacob she also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goat skins then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made he went to his father and said my father

yes my son he answered who is it Jacob said to his father I am Esau your first born I have done as you told me please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may give me your blessing Isaac asked his son how did you find it so quickly my son the Lord your God gave me success he replied then Isaac said to Jacob come near so I can touch you my son to know whether you really are my son Esau or not Jacob went close to his father Isaac who touched him

and said the voice is the voice of Jacob but the hands are the hands of Esau he did not recognize him for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau so he proceeded to bless him are you really my son Esau he asked I am he replied then he said my son bring me some of your game to eat so that I may give you my blessing Jacob brought it to him and he ate he also brought him wine and he drank then his father Isaac said to him come here my son and

kiss me so he went to him and kissed him when Isaac smelled the clothes he blessed him and said ah the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed may God give you Heaven's due and Earth's richness an abundance of grain and new wine May Nations serve you and peoples bow down to you be Lord over your brothers and may the sons of your mother bow down to you cursed be those who curse you and blessed be those who bless you this resulted in Esau wanting to kill

his younger brother so Jacob fled on the way to his mother's Homeland he saw angels and a ladder to heaven when Jacob arrives in haran he meets his match in the form of his uncle laan Genesis 29 so Jacob went on his way and came to the land of the Eastern peoples near haran as he looked he saw a well in the field and three flocks of sheep lying there beside it because the flocks were watered from that well the stone over the mouth of the well was large when all the flocks were gathered there

the Shepherds would roll the stone away from the Well's mouth water the sheep and then return the Stone to its place over the mouth of the well Jacob asked them my brothers where are you from and they said we are from haran then he asked do you know laan nahor's grandson Abraham's brother and they replied we do and he asked is he well and they said he is well look here comes his daughter Rachel with the Sheep Jacob said look the sun is still high in the sky it's too early to gather the flocks in

their pens for the night water the sheep and go and return them to pasture but they said we cannot until all the flocks are gathered and the Shepherds roll the Stone from the Well's mouth then we will water the Sheep while he was still speaking with them Rachel came with her father's sheep for she was a shepherdess when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of laan his mother's brother and laan's sheep he went over rolled the Stone from the Well's mouth and watered the flock of laan his uncle then Jacob kissed Rachel in greeting and raised

his voice and wept Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's relative the son of Rebecca and she ran and told her father when laan heard about the arrival of Jacob his sister's son he ran to meet him embraced him kissed him and brought him to his house then he told laan all these things when laan said to him you are my bone and my flesh and Jacob stayed with him for a month then Laban said to Jacob just because you are my relative should you work for me for free tell me what should your

wages be now laan had two daughters the name of the older was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel Leah's eyes were weak but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance Jacob loved Rachel so he said I will serve you as a hired worker for S years in exchange for the privilege of marrying Rachel your younger daughter laan said it is better that I give her to you in marriage than to another man stay and work with me so Jacob served laan for 7 years to earn the right to marry Rachel but they

seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her finally Jacob said to laan give me my wife for my time of service is completed so that I may take her as my wife then laan gathered all the men of the place and prepared a wedding Feast with wine but at night he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob and Jacob consummated the marriage with her laan also gave Zila his servant to his daughter Leah as a servant but in the morning when Jacob woke up it was Leah who

was with him and he said to laan what have you done to me did I not serve you for seven years for Rachel why have you deceived me and treated me this way but laan only said it is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before for the older one finish the wedding week with Leah then we will also give you Rachel and in return you will work for me for another s years so Jacob agreed and completed Leah's wedding week afterwards Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a second wife

Laban also gave bhha his servant to his daughter Rachel as a servant thus Jacob consumated his marriage and lived with Rachel as his wife and he loved Rachel more than Leah and he served Laban for another 7 years despite his feelings for laban's younger daughter Rachel Jacob was deceived into marrying her older sister Leah Jacob however persevered and eventually was able to marry the object of his affections Jacob worked for Laban for many years Jacob was able to take a good portion of laban's flock for himself thanks to God's protection and Jacob's own cless finally

God told Jacob to return to his father's land the problem was that this meant Jacob would have to face Esau would his brother's anger remain unquenched after all these years knowing the story of Jacob means knowing that his life was full of ups and downs despite God's promise to Jacob that through him would come not just a great nation but a set of Nations he was a fearful and anxious man Jacob was about to meet his brother Esau who had sworn to kill him at a critical moment in his life all of Jak Jacob's efforts

and fears were about to come to fruition Jacob had fled from an enraged Laban only to face his Furious brother Esau eager for his life Jacob concocted a bribe and then sent a caravan of gifts across the Jabbok River with his women and children hoping to appease his brother he was stripped of all his worldly possessions because he was physically exhausted alone in the wild wilderness and facing certain death in reality he had no control over his Fate on the banks of the Jabbok River he fell into a deep sleep with his father-in-law behind him

and Esau in front of him too exhausted to fight but it was then that his real struggle began running from his family history had been hard enough wrestling with God himself was a completely different matter that night Jacob was visited by an Angelic stranger Genesis 33:22 that night Jacob got up and took his two wives his two female servants and his 11 children and crossed the Ford of the Jabbok after he had sent them across the stream he sent over all his possessions so Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him till Daybreak

Jacob had been wrestling all his life even at the moment of his birth he was in conflict with Esau later he clashed with laan yet just before meeting Esau Jacob went through the toughest moment of his life he who once had grabbed his brother's heel was now clinging to the physical form of God himself when the man saw that he could not overpower him he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as they wrestled then the man said let me go for it is Daybreak but Jacob replied I will not

let you go unless you bless me the man asked him what is your name Jacob he answered then the man said your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome Jacob asked him please tell me your name but he replied why do you ask my name then he blessed him there Jacob called the place pineal saying it is because I saw God face to face and yet my life was spared the sun rose above him as he passed pineal and he was limping because

of his hip therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon note that Jacob is 79 years old at this point in the narrative as a result it is unlikely he poses a physical challenge to an angel although there is no reason to doubt that a physical confrontation took place we should not confuse this with the main point when the text tells us that Jacob's opponent could not defeat him it is not s suggesting that Jacob

is physically overpowering the man the ease with which he inflicts physical harm on Jacob indicates that any inability must be in the spiritual realm not the physical if the wrestler cannot defeat Jacob spiritually it is because Jacob is unwilling to yield only when the man threatens to leave without offering assurances of God's assistance does Jacob show his willingness to negotiate over critical issues the Turning Point occurs when Jacob informs the stranger that he will not let him go unless such assurances are provided this I believe indicates Jacob's willingness to submit to God's demands on him

Jacob's perseverance is now working in his favor he is willing to go to the end the blessing manifests in the form of a name change this is significant for Jacob as his name had become synonymous with his character throughout history a name change therefore denotes a character change changing someone's name was a way to exercise authority over that person Jacob accepts the name change which is equivalent to accepting a character change in this case the new name is intended to represent the transformation of one of Jacob's traditional strengths his perseverance has brought him success in

his interactions with people and now it is responsible for his success in his struggle with God God not because God surrendered but because Jacob yielded as is customary with God one must first lose in order to win Jacob's request for the wrestler's name might be a last effort to maintain control but the wrestler refuses who exactly is this stranger throughout the episode the narrator refers to him as a man at the end of the episode as Elohim the man injures Jacob's hip but he refuses to let let him go until the man blesses him Jacob

realized that he was not wrestling with a man but with God and he would not let go until he was blessed the location of the struggle is named penel which means face of God in Hebrew here are the lessons from Jacob's struggle with God first we need forgiveness and it only comes through God's mercy Jacob was responsible for what he did to Esau and he knew it Jacob had relied on his own cleverness for Success up to that point but now he did not know what would happen his survival depended on his brother's forgiveness for

his wrongdoings although Jacob had no control over his brother's heart there was someone who did so Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until dawn Genesis 32:4 it was time for Jacob to realize that he could no longer rely on his own strength he had no control over the forgiveness necessary for survival if we are to follow God we must first admit our faults and weaknesses only God's mercy can forgive us and only God's grace can carry us to the other side of the night second God honors perseverance especially in our pursuit

of him when the man saw that he could not overpower him he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as they wrestled then the man said let me go for it is Daybreak but Jacob replied I will not let you go unless you bless me Genesis 32: 25 and 26 Jacob possessed two admirable characteristics one of them being spiritual sensitivity this was seen when he fled from his brother and saw the ladder to heaven and again when he obeyed the Lord's voice telling him to return to his homeland his perseverance

is exemplified in his pursuit of Rachel and his patience in serving laan to win her hand in marriage in his struggle with the mysterious man Jacob exemplifies both qualities he recognized that he was wrestling with God and refused to give up until God blessed him what made this even more powerful were the moral ramifications Jacob was facing he did not deserve the blessing but he was willing to accept any judgment or consequence that came with it the ramifications were not insignificant the struggle had left him crippled but Jacob had his blessing third our identity is

in Christ and he said to him what is your name and he said Jacob and he said your name will no longer be called Jacob but Israel for as a prince you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome Genesis 32: 27 and 28 Jacob came from an interesting family he was descended from those who would multiply into many nations through his grandfather's Faith he inherited a bit of his grandmother Sarah's Envy a bit of his mother's cunning sense of humor and a bit of his father's loyalty he was named supplanter at Birth

and lived up to it Jacob was a selfish man in his early years Jacob is partly Changed by his love for Rachel and his loyalty to her family but it is in his struggle with God that he reaches a turning point he is baptized as Israel God's Prince what does it mean to have a new name it's a new persona throughout the Bible God does this numerous times every new believer receives the same treatment from Jesus therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation old things have passed away behold all things have

become new First Corinthians 5:1 17 as we continue reading Genesis we see Jacob's name changing back and forth from his old to his new throughout his life God reminds Jacob of his new name once more in Genesis 3 5: 10 this is something that often happens to us God calls us his beloved a new creation in him but we forget who we are we must cling to our new identity after we have wrestled with God we may make mistakes and lose sight of who we are but we can always return to what God has called

us to be God wants us to know him intimately and Jacob asked him please tell me your name and he said why do you ask my name and there he blessed him Genesis 2: 29 Jacob understood who God was he knew that God was the god of his father and grandfather however the god with whom Jacob wrestled through the Jabbok was God in the form of man God became the god of Jacob's Heart during the struggle many people are aware of God but have never had a genuine and transformative encounter with him understanding what God

has done for others is not the same as understanding what he has done for you God is much more concerned with the state of our hearts than how successfully we appear to live a righteous life spending time with God is the only way to have a relationship with him reading the Bible praying and worshiping with our hearts and Minds fully focused on God brings us closer to his presence the biggest obstacle to spending time with God is sometimes ourselves our priorities get mixed up I know that starting my day by spending time time in God's

word and or praying makes the rest of the day go more smoothly the events of my day don't change but my attitude changes because God's peace is with me closeness to God requires humility the sun was Rising on him as he passed penal and he limped because of his hip Genesis 32:31 this physical incapacity was a sign of his new humility for the proud self-sufficient and quick-thinking Jacob maram Webster defines humility as freedom from Pride or arrogance in today's world humility seems to be anticult sural and anti success in God's world however we become better

people when we put our pride aside and trust in him God humbled many biblical figures including Jacob similar stories can be found in the conversion of Simon Peter and of Saul to Paul indeed Paul would later write about a thorn in his flesh to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great Revelations there was given me a thorn in my flesh a messenger of Satan to torment me three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me 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 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: 7 to10 no one would like to go through life with a disability or illness to stay humble but God knows what we need and that our dependence on him rather than on ourselves is our greatest strength the sun was rising over Jacob as he

limped he had a new ailment but also a new identity a new name and a new intimacy with God God wants to bless you when God makes us wrestle with him for some blessings it's not because he is reluctant to bless us even though it may seem that way initially it's because he has more blessings for us in the struggle than when we don't struggle remember that God sought Jacob out for this fight God was the Catalyst when God appeared Jacob was consumed by his own anxiety about Esau and his approaching kill Squad and the

fight pulled Jacob out of his fear trance and forced him to focus on God I doubt Jacob wanted or even thought he needed that forced Focus initially I wouldn't be surprised if Jacob had prayed at the start God could you get rid of this guy this is exactly what I don't need right now but what he discovered was that the struggle was a conduit for God's blessing upon him the same can be said about us keep fighting what do you really need from God right now don't let go of God until He blesses you in

your distress fear and uncertainty God will find you however he may not find you in the way you expect or desire your greatest Ally may seem to be your opponent at first provoking you to fight with him if so keep Jacob in mind there are countless benefits to struggling you might not need soft words of comfort not need time alone with your thoughts not need sleep and perhaps not even a healthy hip what you need is God's favor when God invites you to wrestle with him in prayer it's an invitation to receive his Blessing stand

firm with him and don't give up don't let go of him until he blesses you he loves to bless tenacious faith and you will be transformed as a result today like Jacob we can enter into a relationship with Christ by confessing our sins and declaring God as our savior and Redeemer God can give us new life as his children by admitting our Brokenness to him and we can enter into an eternal relationship with him filled with his Blessing and good promises for our lives through his new name Israel Jacob was able to experience a new

identity similarly when we meet Christ we undergo a transformation Everything Changes Our lives our thoughts our actions and so on we can also learn from Jacob's story that people in the Bible struggled with God in ways that were not just physical there is nothing wrong with having questions and wanting to know more about the Bible Christian faith is is not blind but is based on how God has provided for us in the past we can struggle with him and still come out with a new identity blessings through struggle remember what God did when he wrestled

with Jacob Jacob spent the night anticipating Esau's arrival he was terrified and desperate but he came out of the night with God's blessing and renewed Faith all our faith-based struggles with God lead to peace when we need God's comfort sometimes he sends it in unexpected and even unwanted packages if necessary God will make us limp to strengthen our faith God even inflicted a disabling injury on Jacob this made Jacob even more vulnerable to Esau forcing Jacob's Faith to rest more fully in God than in himself if necessary God will make us limp to strengthen our

faith ultimately Jacob's identity was changed as a result of his struggle with God he was no longer to be remembered as someone who obtained his Blessing through deceit he received God's blessing this time because he prevailed with God through faith this struggle proved to be a profoundly gracious gift of God's restoration similar to the gift Jesus gave to Peter allowing him to affirm his love for Jesus as many times as he had denied him so when they had DED Jesus saith to Simon Peter Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these he saith

unto him yay Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my Lambs he saith to him again the second time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me he saith unto him yay Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my sheep he saith unto him the third time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time love loest thou me and he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Jesus saith unto him

feed my sheep John 21: 15-17 God was pleased with Jacob's tenacious faith and granted Jacob's request Hebrews 11:6 when God calls us to wrestle with him there's always more going on than we realize and God always uses it to transform us for the better we celebrate wealth power strength conf confidence Prestige and victory in modern times we disdain and fear weakness failure and doubt though we recognize that vulnerability fear discouragement are normal parts of life we often interpret them as signs of failure or even lack of faith we also know that naive optimism and the

glossy Praises of Glamour and success are a recipe for discontent and despair in real life most of us will be confronted with the cold and hard realism of life sooner or later Jacob's story brings us back to reality one of the most read Christian authors Frederick buner describes Jacob's Divine encounter at the Jabbok River as The Magnificent defeat of the human soul at the hands of God we can easily recognize our own elements of struggle in Jacob's story fears Darkness loneliness vulnerabilities empty feelings of powerlessness exhaustion and incessant pain even the Apostle Paul felt discouragement

and fear we were troubled on every side without were fightings within were fears second Corinthians 7:5 but in reality God does not want to abandon us in our trials fears and battles in life in the conflicts of life we learn that God provides us with a corresponding Divine gift we can only receive the power of conversion and transformation through him as well as the gift not just of surrender but also of Freedom as well as the gifts of endurance faith and courage finally Jacob does what we all must do he confronts his failures weaknesses sins

and everything that is hurting him and faces God Jacob wrestled With God all night long only after he had reconciled with God and stopped fighting realizing he could not go on without him did he receive God's blessing Genesis 32: 29 this remarkable incident ENT in Jacob's life teaches us that our lives were never meant to be easy this is especially true when we decide to wrestle with God and His will for our lives on our own we also learn that as Christians despite our trials and tribulations our efforts in this life are never without the

presence of God and his Blessing inevitably follows the struggle which can be messy and chaotic at times true growth experiences are always accompanied by struggle and pain Jak struggle with God at the Jabbok that dark night reminds us of this truth though we may oppose God and His will for us God is indeed very good as Christians we can wrestle with him through the loneliness of the night but his Blessing comes at dawn Genesis 33: 1-12 Jacob looked up and saw that Esau was coming and with him 400 men then he divided the children among

Leah Rachel and the two female servants he put the female servants and their children in front Leah and her children next and Rachel and Joseph last he himself went ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother but Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him and they wept then Esau looked up and saw the women and children who are these with you he asked Jacob answered these are the children God has graciously given your son servant then the female servants and

their children approached and bowed down after that Leah and her children came and bowed down lastly Joseph and Rachel came and they also bowed down Esau asked what's the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met to find favor in your eyes my Lord he said but Esau said I already have plenty my brother keep what you have for yourself no please said Jacob if I have found favor in your eyes accept this gift from me for to see your face is like seeing the face of God now that you have received me favorably

please accept the present that was brought to you for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need and because Jacob insisted Esau accepted then Esau said let us be on our way I'll accompany you but Jacob said you know my Lord that the children are tender and that I must care for the nursing flocks and herds for for if they are driven hard just one day all the flocks will die please let my Lord go on ahead of his servant and I will move along slowly at the pace of the herds

and flocks before me and according to the endurance of the children until I come to my Lord in Seer then Esau said please let me leave some of my men with you but Jacob said why do that just let me find favor in the eyes of my Lord so Esau turned back that day on his way to sea but Jacob traveled to the north to suoth and built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock that is why the place is called suoth shelters or booths when Jacob came from padanaram he arrived safely at

the city of sheam in Canan and camped within sight of the city then he bought a plot of ground where he pitched his tent from the sons of hmor sheck's Father for a 100 pieces of money there he set up an altar and called it El eloh is Israel Jacob met his brother Esau after his struggle instead of killing him his brother welcomed him with an Embrace and tears of joy Esau had reconciled with his brother Jacob was spared death Esau wanted none of the possessions Jacob offered him though he accepted them at Jacob's request

he only wanted to be on good terms with his brother the rest of Jacob's story is not a happy ending he would end up losing his beloved wife Rachel during childbirth his favorite son would be sold into slavery after being betrayed by his older brothers Jacob's life comes to an end in a foreign land despite everything God reminds Jacob that he is with him and that his promises are true even if he cannot see how they are possible at that moment if you found this content valuable I ask for your support with a subscription so

you don't miss any of our upcoming videos together we can illuminate more mind minds and expand our understanding which parts of Jacob's story do you identify with when reading about his struggle where in your life do you need to ask for forgiveness are you seeking a relationship with God with tenacity how can you draw closer to him while remaining humble we can grow have more peace and be the man or woman God called us to be when we take the lessons God has for us from the stories in his word thank you for being here

and may God bless you