THE CONTEST AT THE RIVER

He stood on the banks of the river And gazed at the opposite shore, With body and soul all aquiver Afraid what next day had in store. He'd sent all his earthly possessions Across to the opposite side And then, in the grips of depression, Was left, by himself to abide. The flocks and the herds and the other Gifts he'd decided to send, Lay in the path of his brother Whom he was afraid to offend. Behind them, his sons and the daughter He'd had by his different wives, Were placed in the front. No supporter Of Jacob protected their lives! So there was the famous deceiver, Who'd cheated his brother before, Gripped in a fear inspired fever, Convinced that he couldn't do more. There, through the night to the morning, Alone by that stream, on that sod, Through 'til the daybreak was dawning, He violently struggled with God. Now Jacob would not be defeated; The struggle he wouldn't let slip; Until, when the contest was heated, The Angel disjointed his hip. "Release Me! The dawn is now breaking!" He then heard the Angel request. But Jacob replied without quaking, "I won't let You go 'til I'm blessed!" The Angel then posed him a question And asked him to tell Him, his name. That's how, by the Angel's suggestion, Israel, from Jacob, became. "He struggled with God", they will call you, For in this particular place, By letting Your Maker enthral you, You met with Him here, face to face!' From that day he changed his behaviour; No longer a cheat but a prince; For he had confronted the Saviour And no one's been tricked by him since. He'd come to the place called Peniel; The spot where we all go to meet The Lord face to face through the trial And 'wrestle' with Him 'til we're beat! The struggle is yours for deciding For Jesus can alter your name From someone the world is deriding And something that makes you look lame, To being a simple believer; A Christian in truth and in deed. No longer a brother deceiver, But someone who lives by His creed! Jim Strickland – Written Tuesday, 31 May 2011