Don't take NO for an answer !

Gen32:25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

This story has always puzzled me. Why would God wrestle with Jacob, and seemingly try to make him stop, when in reality God wanted to bless him. He said let me go, when really he didn’t mean it. There is a similar story in the New Testament. After the resurrection of Jesus, two men are walking towards Emmaus. They are oblivious to the fact that Jesus is alive. Jesus is walking beside them, talking to them about the scriptures. They came to a crossroad, and Jesus acted like he would continue to walk. Then they urged him to stay with them. He then went with them and broke the bread with them.

Even when Jesus teaches us how to pray, he tells the story of the unrighteous judge. The women refused to take no for an answer, and kept on pushing for help. In the end she was rewarded. And Jesus teaches us that this is the way we should pray. Be persistent.

In all of these three stories God rewards the persistency, even though it is he who tries to stop them. Sometimes, it seems like God encourages us to not take No for an answer.

Don’t give up praying. Keep on wrestling. In the end he will bless you.