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Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

“And the winner is…” When the referee dramatically raises the winner’s hand and confetti falls from the ceiling, sheer joy (and sometimes a certain amount of surprise) beams from the face of the victor.

Jacob could not believe it. He had just spent the night wrestling with God. And he lived to talk about it. Think about that. Seeing God face-to-face should mean death. Sinners cannot survive in the blazing holiness of the Almighty. When the Old Testament prophet Isaiah saw a glimpse of the Lord, he cried out, “Woe to me! I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5). When one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, realized who Jesus truly was, he fell to his knees and begged, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).

Jacob knew the same truth. A deceiver like him didn’t deserve to walk away from an encounter with God. But that’s the wonder of God’s grace and mercy: Jacob lived. He lived because God was not there to destroy him but to bless him. That’s the story of the whole Bible. Over and over, sinners stand face to face with God—and instead of condemnation, they receive mercy. Again and again, God meets sinners face to face, not with wrath but with love.

How is that possible? Because when Jesus went to the cross with our sins on his shoulders, his Father turned his face away from Jesus so that he could turn his face in favor to us. Jesus suffered God’s wrath and justice, so that one day, you will stand before God in all his glory. You will not be afraid. You will not be consumed. You will look into the face of your Savior and live.

So today, remember Peniel. Remember Jacob’s wonder because it’s your wonder. In Christ, you will see God face-to-face, and your life will be spared.

Lord, like Jacob, I don’t deserve to see your face. Yet in Jesus, you show me mercy. Thank you that in him I live, now and forever. Keep me clinging to your grace until the day I see you in glory. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.