Chapter 271—Invincible
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with
it.
Proverbs 10:22
.
When in his distress, Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and made supplication
with tears, the heavenly Messenger, in order to try his faith, also reminded
him of his sin, and endeavored to escape from him. But Jacob would not be
turned away. He had learned that God is merciful, and he cast himself upon
His mercy. He pointed back to his repentance for his sin, and pleaded for
deliverance. As he reviewed his life, he was driven almost to despair; but he
held fast the Angel, and with earnest, agonizing cries urged his petition until
he prevailed.
Such will be the experience of God’s people in their final struggle with the
powers of evil. God will test their faith, their perseverance, their confidence
in His power to deliver them. Satan will endeavor to terrify them with the
thought that their cases are hopeless.... They will have a deep sense of their
shortcomings, and as they review their lives, their hopes will sink. But
remembering the greatness of God’s mercy, and their own sincere repentance,
they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting
sinners. Their faith will not fail because their prayers are not immediately
answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of
the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, “I will not let thee go,
except thou bless me” (
Genesis 32:26
)....
Jacob’s history is an assurance that God will not cast off those who have
been betrayed into sin, but who have returned unto Him with true repentance.
It was by self-surrender and confiding faith that Jacob gained what he had
failed to gain by conflict in his own strength. God thus taught His servant
that divine power and grace alone could give him the blessing he craved.
Thus it will be with those who live in the last days. As dangers surround
them, and despair seizes upon the soul, they must depend solely upon the
merits of the atonement. We can do nothing of ourselves. In all our helpless
unworthiness we must trust in the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour.
None will ever perish while they do this.
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