What a coincident! In light of some of my recent journal entries, I happened to open up a daily prayer book for 2003 this morning and found a very timely reading. The ironic thing is that I have not opened this particular book since June. I have been reading the Church’s daily readings through the Internet. The puzzling thing is that the reading from the prayer book does not match the official church reading for today.
The reading in the prayer book was from Genesis 32:24-30:
Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name? And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my if preserved.”
Hmmm…
Also this morning, I had a brief moment to visit two weblogs. Out of the corner of my eye, in the sidebar of rick & 1j13, I noticed the title of a book he is currently reading. The book is Wrestling with God.
Hmmm…There is a message inside the message here.
The prayer that accompanied the above reading is a fitting end to this entry. It is from Psalm 62:
God alone is my rock, my stronghold:
From God comes my hope.