We are constantly learning.
Just the way it is.
Even when we are not conscious of it, we are gaining understanding.
If we are following Jesus, those lessons are spiritual.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,
are changed into the same image from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18
The spiritual becomes more important.
Pleasing God can take over, or not, depending on your level of humility.
Fighting with God leads to a loss.
It’s a good loss though, He has His way when we let Him.
We can walk away and what kind of a choice is that?
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life.
And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
John 6:67-69
Wrestling with God is not something God shies away from.
Jacob wrestled with God.
Many others did in different ways.
God always wins.
Those who refuse the match will be the most profound losers.
Wrestling with God stems from the flesh, but its end is spiritual.
I think everyone who follows Christ fully has done a sort of wrestling with Him, that is, proclaiming your thoughts and contending with Him to plead your case.
That will fall flat.
Although, I suspect, God enjoys that time with us. Raw honesty.
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Me.
Job 38:3
As Jesus leads us, we protest at times.
Looking for the lesson even when it’s right in front of us.
We cannot always see it until it we are on the other side.
The next time you want your own way,
the next time you are trying to get your own way with God,
remember Balaam, whose donkey got the message before he did.
God finally won, and He chose to use an ass in the wrestling match.
Wrestle on and see what happens.
Scriptural References:
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:4
And Jacob was left alone;
and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him,
he touched the hollow of his thigh;
and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh.
And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel:
for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Genesis 32:24-28
And God’s anger was kindled because he went:
and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him.
Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way,
and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way,
and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards,
a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam,
What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me:
I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
And the ass said unto Balaam,
Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden
ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee?
And he said, Nay.
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam,
and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way,
and his sword drawn in his hand:
and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
And the angel of the Lord said unto him,
Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times?
behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times:
unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee,
and saved her alive.
Numbers 22:22-33