Jacob – 2 Seasons
He knew what it was to depend on God
He knew what it was to depend on himself

All his life, the pattern was there. He could put his trust in God, in the supernatural and he could trust his own ingenuity and natural ability. And it always worked until now.

Jacob was going home for the first time in 20 years. To get home he had to go through the land of his brother Esau. While he was traveling, a messenger came and told him that his brother was coming to meet him with 400 men. Jacob remembered the last word he heard from his brother.

Now Esau had had more than 20 years to simmer in his anger and resentment toward Jacob for stealing his birthright and blessing. Now it was payback time!! Jacob developed a plan where 9 different gift-bearing entourages would hopefully soften Esau. He then separated his wife and children from the rest of the camp. But in all this, Jacob must have felt it was not enough. He realized that there was no human solution left. His only hope was God!

So he wrestled…all night long…
Isn't it amazing how much tenacity we can develop when we are desperate? Or even to what extremes we will go.

In a thesaurus under desperation, you will find 2 words: hopelessness and recklessness

Hopelessness
Do you ever feel that there is just no hope whatsoever? It is at this point that we can take several paths.

1. We can quit - walk away from it!

But when we decide to walk away from it all, we will quit... spouses, family, job, church friends, even God… sometimes the final step here is suicide.

2. We can become reckless in a bad or negative way. We can cast off hope!! Nobody cares anyway – no one loves me - I might as well go all the way with this. If nobody cares, then no one will find out.

In this state of recklessness, we begin to feel that God doesn't hear us and doesn't care. So, we tread dangerously close to enemy territory.

Instead of going to the Word (which is life), we try to ease the pain with a drink, an illicit relationship or a drug or isolation.

3. We can become reckless in our state of desperation that is positive. This recklessness produces a tenacity or a resolve in us to hold on to the promises of God. It maintains HOPE in God!!

Jacob knew that all his cunning, all his ingenuity would not save him. He found himself alone and he began to wrestle with God. All night long, he wrestled, and finally he broke through and received. The key is "ALL NIGHT."

"ALL NIGHT" – means for the duration, as long as it takes.

The word says that we may weep during the night but joy will come in the morning.

Night – is our trouble
All – is its duration…how long it lasts

We tend to forget that morning always comes and that it is always darkest right before dawn.

In our walk with God, in our time of despair when it has gotten as dark as you think it can get-and then it gets darker, know that dawn is about to break and the SON is about to shine because you were reckless and tenacious ALL NIGHT.

How do I become positively reckless? It is born out of hunger & thirst. God responds to hunger & thirst.

Jesus - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they WILL be filled

Dr. Michael Brown - "He fills those who recognize their need, who are empty and broken, who are at the point of desperation, those who are panting for him the way a deer pants for water in the desert."

God answers dependent prayers. He never does anything redundantly or unnecessary.

He heals the sick not the healthy, restores sight to the blind not the seeing.

Too often we view ourselves as healthier than we are, spiritually speaking. We tell God to just do a little tweaking here or there. Usually, we tell Him what is wrong (or whatever we think is).

We refuse to admit that a complete overhaul is needed. We tend to live our lives spiritually the way we use our automobiles. If it begins to give us a lot of trouble, trade it for a new one. Spiritually speaking, we don't want to pay the price of an overhaul.

Why? It might take too long…that crucifying the flesh is painful…sanctification & holy living is too hard…dying to SELF - I might even have to pray or read the bible.

Instead, we run here and there looking for something new. It's almost like we are addicted to spiritual highs instead of going through the process God has for us (which will be a painful & usually a long process.)

This mindset is a lie from the enemy. God doesn't intend for us to be spiritual junkies running all over the place for a new experience or new high. He wants you to have His joy in you, His peace, His contentment, which comes from recklessly and tenaciously clinging to Him for the duration of the night or trouble that has brought you to the place of desperation.

I believe the reason that we don't receive the thing we need most in our life is because we choose to live without it. Joy, peace, contentment, even deliverance. We choose to live without it because to live in it is tough.

Deliverance without discipline is deception.

Overcome means to overcome to fight, fight, fight.
Don’t stop short of the goal…

It takes desperation – reckless tenacity holding on until we walk in the joy of the Lord because we have held on to His word, His commands, His grace, His hand.

How desperate are you? Are you hungry, thirsty, in need?

Jesus satisfies the hungry with good things, He quenches the thirsty with living water, and meets us at our deepest point of need.

Jacob was recklessly tenacious - he didn’t want to continue, he wanted more, and he was willing to stay the course fight for the duration.

What about you? Are you desperate to the point of reckless tenacity?