really see the potential in you…

when jacob wrestled with GOD, GOD brings him face to face with who he is.  then HE brings him face to face with who he can be

he gets a brand new identity.  GOD says, “your name’s jacob -- manipulator.  that’s the old you.  we’re not going to call you that anymore.  we’re going to change your name.  we’re going to call you israel which means prince with GOD.”  a little bit different than manipulator.  he says, “yes, you’ve been jacob but now you’re going to be israel.” a whole nation is named after this guy.  GOD says, “i know you’ve blown it, i know you’re conniving but i see in you a prince.  beneath all your emotional hang ups, all your insecurities, all the stuff you don’t want anybody else to know about i see a prince.” 

GOD would say that today to many of you, “beneath all of your hang ups i see a princess/prince.  beneath all the sins, all the things you’ve done wrong in life, i really see the potential in you.  you can be something great.  you can be what i made you to be.  not what you are now but what I made you to be.  if you just own up.” 

we own up to it and GOD says now we’re going to give you a new identity.  GOD, often, in the bible changed people’s names – from cephas to peter, from abram to abraham, from sarai to sarah.  that’s the old you.  GOD is in the new identity business once we own up.

he gets a new identity and then he gets blessed. 

then GOD brings him face to face with who GOD is, then HE blessed him there.  that is the key.  not who you are but who HE is.  we don’t do it HE does it. 

just a thought from the front porch…