Touched By God To Bring Forth

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. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank. Genesis 32:24-32 (KJV)

Jacob was left alone with God to face him in a wrestling match. Morning was coming on so God touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, or the socket of Jacob’s hip, so Jacob would not walk the way he wanted to walk. Jacob wanted to walk as a deceiver, but God had a different way for him to walk- relying on the Lord each step of the way.

All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six; And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.Genesis 46:26-27 (KJV)

Later, 70 people came forth out of Jacob’s loins, or the Hebrew says thigh. How is this? When He wrestled with Jacob, God had a plan to use and increase him. When God touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, or his hip or loin area, He turned Jacob from a deceiver to into Israel- a prince with God. God changed his name from Jacob to Israel, which means one who has power with God, prince with God, or ruling with God. God was changing Jacob to Israel to bring forth more. A deceiver couldn’t, but a prince with God could.

As we let God touch us and change us, it may cause us to walk differently- and it may even look strange to others- but God will do new things in us and through us to bless the nations. When God touches us, we can bring forth more with Him than we could on our own.