Wrestling Until The Break Of Day

To hear this poem presented in church with an introduction and some devotional thoughts, please click here:

Alone with God – salvation’s story,
Wrestling until the break of day.
This is worth the greatest glory,
To cling to Jesus come what may.

Wrestling, praying, holding on so tight,
Like a prince, I won’t let Him go.
Transformed by grace throughout the night –
Oh how much He must love me so!

Running from fear, and troubling trials,
Faltering, afraid, stopped in my tracks;
From worry, to peace – yet, all the while,
Knowing inside there’s no turning back.

Wrestling until the darkness shatters,
A part of me won’t give up this fight;
But it’s not my hold on God that matters:
He is wrestling with my soul tonight.

Struggling, pleading, in desperation,
Until my strength is taken away,
Wondering at my situation –
Believing He’s the victor this day.

Within my own heart, there is a peace:
He will not leave His work undone;
Transforming my life piece by piece,
Until the rising of the sun.

Wrestling in faith, like Jacob of old,
Until his life was rearranged –
Now touched by God, lo and behold,
I find myself forever changed.

When trouble comes to darken our trail,
Though it seems we can’t find our way,
Our Saviour’s love will never fail –
Wrestling until the break of day.

June 1st/2022
Jerry Bouey

(Dedicated to my nephew, Andrew. It’s wonderful to see you grow in your faith day by day.)

Jacob was in distress and worried about his brother, Esau, and his 400 armed men coming his way. Left alone with the Lord, his only option was to cling to God until the day break. This is much like us, wrestling with ourselves and our Saviour, until the day break and the shadows flee away – not letting the Lord go until He blesses us by changing our situations or ourselves.

Genesis 32:24-31 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. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

Jacob’s encounter with the Lord God changed his life forever!

Song of Songs 2:17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

Bether means “division,” ie. what separates us from our Saviour. Jesus will come leaping over the divisions and difficulties in my life.

Song of Songs 4:6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

From the time the Song of Solomon was written until the time of His return again, the Lord Jesus Christ would go to the mountain of myrrh (ie. myrrh meaning death, to face death on Calvary), and the hill of frankincense (ie. incense represents prayer, and He would go as our High Priest to pray to the Father for His brethren).

Song of Songs 8:14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

This song ends with the Shulamite looking forward to her Beloved Bridegroom’s return, much like true believers are awaiting Jesus’ return to take His bride home to be with Him forever.

Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The last book of the Bible ends on the same note. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

For a devotional study on this theme, please read: Wrestling Until The Day Break

Note: Relistening to the audio file, I realized that I accidently said the Song of Solomon was written around 3000 BC. I meant to say that it was written around 3000 years ago, which would make it around 1000 BC.