Heaven’s Heartbeat - The Ultimate Face Time

When I was seven years old, I liked to watch a futuristic cartoon character named George Jetson and his wife, Jane, on our old black-and-white TV. They had a robot maid named Rosie, which was pretty cool, but it was also amazing to see George and Jane talk to their son Elroy—and even George’s boss, Mr. Spacely—on a video phone. This was a piece of hardware that allowed them to actually see and speak to people in other locations. Back in 1962, that was a pretty wild idea—the stuff of some far-future society, where everyone lives in little Space Needles.

These days, I merely fire up my smartphone application and instantly see and speak to my children who live in other parts of the world. A small piece of hardware in my hand gives me a little slice of face-to-face interaction with people I work with, care about, and love. 

I’m really glad for the capability, because I miss those kids and grandkids. But it’s not the same as face-to-face, is it? The recent memory of Covid isolation and heavy-handed lockdowns are good cause to remember that. Electronic communication is nice, but nothing replaces face-to-face time with other human beings.

The Bible speaks of a man named Jacob, who had a face-to-face encounter with God Himself. 

When we check in on this man’s life in Genesis 32, he is suffering from multiple self-inflicted wounds. His life, to combine metaphors, was a dumpster fire on a train wreck. Even though God had promised from earliest days to protect and prosper Jacob, he always tried to hedge his bets. The irony is that everything Jacob schemed, swindled, and out-right stole, God had planned on giving to him all along.

But then came a wild and mysterious night by the Jabbok River when God and Jacob had some serious face time. Read about it in Genesis 32, one of the most curious accounts in all the Bible. You might say God got in Jacob’s face. After running from the Lord for most of his life, Jacob had a close encounter with his Creator. I mean very close. They actually wrestled all night long.

When God gets in your face, through whatever means He chooses, it’s because He wants your attention. Initially, that might be a little frightening. But over the long haul, it is very, very good. The Lord wanted to finally settle the issue of who was in charge of Jacob’s life. So they wrestled and grappled and put each other into headlocks.

The thing I like about Jacob is that he was willing to struggle with God in prayer—and keep after it until he got an answer. He actually told the Lord, “I’m not going to let You go until You bless me.” 

And guess what? That’s just what God did.

Have you ever prayed like that?:

“God, I’m not letting You go until You show up in this situation. I’m not going to quit calling out to you and pounding on Your door until I get an answer—whether it’s yes, no, or wait. I need to hear from You, God. I’m hanging onto You for all I’m worth!”

God seems to appreciate those sorts of prayers. He wants people to pursue Him. To search Him out. To keep on asking and seeking and knocking until a door opens. He tells His people,:

“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed” (Jeremiah 29:13, The Message)

In the course of his wrestling match with heaven, I think Jacob finally admitted, “I’ve tried to control everything in life, and it’s caused conflict with everybody in my life. Lord, I’m tired of hurting myself and others. I’m weary of the struggle, and I am ready to face the facts and change.”

Jacob truly was changed that day. His face to face with God actually transformed his identity—and God gave him a new name, “Israel,” to seal the deal. As a result, God “blessed Jacob there. Jacob named the place Peniel (which means ‘face of God’), for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared’” (Genesis 32:29-30, NLT).

I’ve got good news. Jacob’s story points us to an opportunity that is all God’s doing—through His Son, Jesus. The Bible says:

“For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6, NLT)

Give it a try. Today. No matter where you are or what your situation might be. Call out to Jesus. Seek His face. If you’re looking for personal contact with someone who really cares about you, He is better than a videophone any day.

- Micah