There are times in our walk with God when we "rest in the Lord" because we wait for His intervention to change to things that we cannot change ourselves.

Does that mean that we just become passive, accepting everything in life with a "Que sera sera" ("Whatever will be, will be") attitude? No, there are many times in life when we must wrestle with God.

Wrestle with God? Isn’t that a crazy idea?

No, not really. when Jacob was returning home after having lived with his uncle Laban for years, he was to meet his brother Esau along the way. Years earlier Jacob had gotten Esau to sell him his birthright, and then he tricked his own father Isaac into blessing him with the birthright. Jacob was concerned about how his brother Esau would receive him and whether he really had God’s blessing. So he wrestled all night with God:

"Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, Let Me go, for the day breaks. But he [Jacob] said, I will not let You go unless You bless me! So He said to him, What is your name? He said, Jacob. And He said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed" (Genesis 32:24-28).

What was one of the lessons Jesus gives us from the parable of the unrighteous judge? "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily" (Luke 18:7-8).

No, our walk with God is not a passive walk, just waiting for God to do something while we do nothing ourselves. Sometimes we have to wrestle with God in prayer, sharing our problems with Him and asking Him to intervene, to help, to show us the way.

If God chooses not to respond, then we indeed must "rest in the Lord" – but only after we have wrestled with the Lord.

With these thoughts I wish us all a rewarding Sabbath!