The Great Wrestling at the ford of Jabbok

In Genesis chapter 32 there is a reference to a great wrestling match between Jacob and God. Jacob, the 'deceiver',steals away from his uncle Laban at night, planning to go back to his homeland in Canaan. Twenty years of struggle in Paddan-aram has made him rich, but he feels homesick too. He returns to meet Esau, his elder brother whom he had cheated . Naturally, he was afraid. Still he makes the journey homeward.But as he reaches the River Jabbok fear haunts him .During the night he moves all his possession and family across the ford of Jabbok. Then he stays alone at the bank of Jabbok. It is then that he meets a mysterious Man who wrestles with him. Surely the Man was stronger than Jacob, but He allows Jacob to fight with Him, He does not overpower Jacob. The match remains a stale mate, nobody wins. But then it is dawn, the Man has to go. So He wounds Jacob on his hip bone.But Jacob in spite of his pain holds fast to the Man and demands of Him a blessing. Jacob receives the blessing, he gets a new name - Israel. From then on, he is no more the frightened fugitive or deceiver, he is Israel, meaning  'One who Struggled with God'.Some other translations says 'Is(h)rael' means 'Corrected by God'.And he named the place Penuel (Peniel), which means "meeting God face to face".
We too need to have such Penuel experiences in our lives. May be we already have had a few such experiences.God though Omnipotent - All Powerful - sometimes allows us to struggle or wrestle with Him.And sometimes when we tend to overdo the game, He gives us a wound. But that's the time we need to hold on to Him all the more, so that we can demand of Him a blessing. Surely we will receive the blessing.
But before receiving the blessing we need to empty ourselves of all our deceptions.River Jabbok symbolizes that,; the word Jabbok comes from the root, " to empty". Let us empty all our negativity, deceptions, frailties and fears before God and be straight forward and true to ourselves and to our God.Thus, once purified at our Jabbok, God will surely bless us.We then become Israel, corrected by God, but better human beings.