Heelcatcher

If God can love Jacob, then He can love anyone.Surprisingly, God associates Himself with Jacob more than any other person in the Bible. God calls Himself the God of Jacob on twenty-four occasions. And He calls Himself the God of Israel (the new God-given name of Jacob) over two hundred times.Jacob is not the biblical "hero" that we talk about. There are no children's songs about Jacob. No one sings "Dare to Be a Jacob." His story is more embarrassing than impressive. Yet God ties His name for all eternity to Jacob.Why? Because all of us are like Jacob in some regard. We are all "heelcatchers," struggling to make life work, wrestling with God, fighting to figure out who we are.Jacob's story is our own.In my own struggle with anxiety, panic attacks, perfectionism, past abuse, and the meaning of masculinity, I discovered the beauty and power of God's grace in Jacob's life. The God who loves Jacob loves us all...and is a refuge to all who cling to Him alone."Be still, and know that I am God;I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!The Lord of hosts is with us;The God of Jacob is our refuge."-Psalm 46:10-11