A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos

Today’s Bible Verse

“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 32:26

Persevering in Prayer

Jacob’s most anguish-filled night was when he learned that his brother, Esau, was coming to meet him. He remembered Esau’s threats after the way he had stolen the birthright. All of the inheritance that should have belonged to Esau as the firstborn, and which was represented by the father’s blessing, disappeared instantly when Jacob pretended to be Esau. Jacob deceived their father, and in this way, seized the whole blessing for himself. That day, Esau, looked at his brother with tears in his eyes, and warned him that, once their father died, he would kill him. When Jacob heard that his brother was coming to meet him, and that he was coming with four hundred men, he was filled with fear. He felt death approaching. The image he saw in his mind was the destruction of every one of his family members. He knew his brother was resentful so he sought refuge in prayer.

This was a pivotal hour in Jacob’s life. Either God would intervene, or evil would catch him. The prayer Jacob prayed was so intense that when the angel appeared, Jacob did not let go. He knew that if God did not intervene, he would be a dead man. While Jacob wrestled with the angel, a miracle happened in his mind, and he began to see a new picture. He saw his brother coming toward him but with a different attitude. He saw him as a kind, friendly, loving man. He saw complete reconciliation and restoration for both of them. Jacob called that place Peniel, because when he saw the face of God, he also saw his circumstances change positively. The following day, when he finally met with his brother, everything that Jacob had visualized was now a reality. He asked Esau to accept his offering because he was seeing Esau just as he had visualized him the previous night at Peniel. “Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept” (Genesis 33:4).

Something to Think About

In 1989, a huge earthquake almost completely destroyed the city of Armenia, Colombia. The earthquake reached 8.2 on the Richter scale, and killed more than thirty thousand people in less than four minutes. In the midst of this devastation and chaos, a desperate father rushed to the school where his son should have been, only to see that the building was completely demolished.

After the initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son, “Whatever happens, I will always be with you.” As he looked at the pile of rubble where the school had once been, there seemed to be no hope. But he kept thinking about the promise he had made to his son. He remembered that his son’s classroom was in the back-right of the building, and he rushed in that direction to start digging through the bricks. While he was digging, other desperate parents arrived, clutching their hands to their hearts, crying, “My son! My daughter!” Other well-intentioned parents tried to draw him away from what was left of the school, and told him, “It’s too late! They are dead! You cannot help! Go home! Face reality; there’s nothing that you can do! You will only make things worse!” To each one of the parents, he answered with a riveting question, “WILL YOU HELP ME NOW!?” Then, he would continue to dig for his son, rock by rock. The fire squad, the police, and everyone else tried to persuade him to abandon his task by giving him endless explanations. But this loving and protective father heard them and replied, “WILL YOU HELP ME NOW!?” No one helped.

Bravely he kept working alone because he needed to know for himself if his son was alive or dead. He dug for eight…, twelve…, twenty-four…, thirty-six hours…, and after almost thirty-eight hours of digging, he pulled out a brick and heard his son’s voice. With his heart about to burst, he yelled out his son’s name, “ARMANDO!” And he heard the voice in return cry out, “DAD?! It’s me, Dad! I told the others not to worry; that if you were alive you would save me, and that when you saved me, they would be saved, too. You promised me, ‘No matter what happens, I will always be with you.’ You did it, Dad!” “What is going on in there? How are you?” asked the father. “There are fourteen of us left out of thirty-three, Dad. We are afraid, we are hungry, and we are thirsty. When the building collapsed, a cave formed like a triangle, and we were spared.” The father replied, “Come out, son!” “No, Dad!” the son called back, “Let the others come out first, because I know you will get me. Whatever happens, you are always with me!”

Prayer

“My God, thank You because You have taught me how to change my circumstances in a positive way. Thank You for receiving my pleas, my cries, and my tears. Thank You for cheering me up and strengthening my faith. Thank You for revealing Yourself in my life through Your Son, Jesus, and for giving me the revelation of the Cross. Amen.”

Declaration

“From the deepest part of my heart, I cried out to my God, and He heard me. He took my oppression and my affliction, and He gave me His blessing.”

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 20-21; Psalm 145
• New Testament: Luke 11:37-54; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-12