The Runner and the Wrestler 

By Danny Saavedra

“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him . . . He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint . . .” – Genesis 32:24–25 (NKJV)

Have you ever found yourself in a wrestling match? You might be surprised to know that there is a wrestling match in the Bible! 

You see, there was this guy named Jacob, and throughout his life, he would always run away from his problems. When things went wrong with his brother Esau, he ran away. When he was having an issue with his uncle Laban, he ran away. Instead of asking God to help him, Jacob would just run away. 

And then something happened that really scared Jacob. He learned that his brother and an army of 400 men were after him. So, what do you think he did? He got ready to run again. But God had a different plan for Jacob. God wrestled with Jacob and knocked his hip out of place. 

You’re probably wondering, “Why would God do that?” God didn’t want Jacob to run anymore. He wanted him to rely on God, as Abraham and Isaac had done. 

God then gives Jacob a new name, Israel, which means “directed by God.” Jacob, now named Israel, chose to have faith in God and not run away and do things his own way. When we’re facing a problem, when we’re scared, when we’re not sure what to do . . . God wants us to turn to Him and ask for help. He wants us to be like Israel, not Jacob.