Thought for the Month - August 2012

"Big Daddy" By Barry Adair

His name was Shirley Crabtree but he was much better known as "Big Daddy". A huge man, with a particularly big belly, he was a popular professional wrestler in the UK. For those who haven't heard of him, just think of an English version of Hulk Hogan.

At this time (the late 1970s), Saturday afternoon TV just wasn't complete without watching the wrestling on "ITV's World of Sport". All the kids seemed to watch it and my brother and I always had a laugh at the old grannies at ringside, waving their handbags and shouting at whoever was the 'baddie' wrestler that day. Big Daddy was never the baddie (that was usually Giant Haystacks or Kendo Nagasaki or 'Mighty' John Quinn). Although huge, Big Daddy seemed to fight fair, even though his signature move involved jumping on the opponent, belly first - the Big Daddy Splash! And he rarely seemed to lose either.

When they had the wrestling tag teams, even though his partner was being walloped in the ring, all he needed to do was reach out and touch Big Daddy. He would then come into the ring and squash any opponent (literally!). It wasn't long before the guy who had been beating his partner was now in submission to Big Daddy, much to the grannies approval!

I know a man who wrestled with God.

His name was Jacob.

Who he actually fought with is open to some conjecture but Jacob said that he saw God face to face (see Gen 32:30).

As I thought about the whole wrestling thing, I came to the conclusion that we are all involved with some kind of wrestling in our lives. The Bible tells us that we even wrestle with things that much of the population doesn't even know exists i.e. the supernatural (see Ephesians 6:12).

Going back to Jacob, the outcome of that bout of wrestling was that Jacob was humbled and he fully submitted himself to God. In fact, his life was altered from that moment on - and all for the better.

Many have had their wrestles with God. Not a physical wrestling match, like in Jacob's case, but a wrestle of the mind. Many will have dismissed this as merely a fight with their consciences. God wrestled with Jacob because He wanted what was best for Jacob - and He needed to get His full attention! And what was best for Jacob was for Jacob to submit fully to his God and Saviour.

Think back to when you were a kid. When times were good, it was all so easy. But whenever trouble came into your young life, you suddenly needed to find your Daddy and get him to sort out the problem.

Like the tag team wrestler getting pounded in the ring, as adults we still need to call upon a "Big Daddy".

God is still in the wrestling business.

And He is very close.

All we need to do is reach out and touch Him.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Rev 3:20)

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24)

Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by.
You'll find He's not too busy to hear your heart's cry.
He's passing by this moment, your needs to supply;
Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by.

Until next month then (DV)…

(All Bible quotations are from the NASB)

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