There are many times in our lives when we unexpectedly encounter God. Jacob wrestled with the stranger, not knowing that he was really an appearance of God. We wrestle with conflicts, difficulties, and things we cannot understand, often without being able to see that it is really God coming to meet us, with whom we are contending. Jesus cast out demons and healed the sick of their diseases, yet the Pharisees did not recognize God in the actions of Jesus. So too it is often difficult for us to see the hand of God in the triumph of grace over evil and in the healing bodies and hearts. Jealously and resentment can prevent us from acknowledging the wonderful ways in which God acts in and through the people who serve Him, just as the Pharisees insisted on seeing Jesus' power as coming from the devil rather than God. It is an awesome thing to see the hand of God at work and it takes simplicity and trust on our part to acknowledge it.