Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, June 4
Written by Justin Wood
“But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine’” (Isaiah 43:1 NIV).
Do you have a Jekyll and Hyde inside of you? The famous book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde deals with the idea that one person can be both very kind and very evil. One person. Two natures. Cancer can manifest this Jekyll and Hyde in us. One moment, you are hopeful and excited about life. The next moment you feel such frustration and envy that you feel you might be the most evil person you know. One report, one test result, one lab report can swing us to the highest of highs or the lowest of lows.
Today’s verse shows us that the Lord understands our Jekyll and Hyde personality. God is not scared of what we feel or hide on the inside. Either way, the Lord says, “you are mine.”
Today’s verse is also about one guy with two names. At birth, his parents named him Jacob, which means to supplant or deceive. Jacob lived up to his name all his life by deceiving his dad and brother, fleeing for his life and then being deceived by his uncle. But things changed when Jacob wrestled with God (see Genesis 28), which, when you think about it, is what Jacob had been doing his whole life.
After the wrestling match, God gave Jacob a new name: “Israel,” which means, “he will rule as God.” The name “Israel” is quite a different name than “deceiver.” If Jacob had thought that his deceitfulness had slipped by God, wrestling with God removed that illusion. This was such a pivotal point in his people’s history that all of Jacob’s descendants would become known as Israel.
So, Jacob was Israel and Israel was Jacob. He was both deceiver and ruler with God. He was Jekyll and Hyde.
Look at our verse again. Notice what the Lord does not say. He doesn’t say that you should clean yourself up. Make up your mind. Quit riding the fence of good and evil.
Instead, the Lord says:
If you are the deceitful person who can’t get it together today—
If you are making enemies with your family and friends—
If you are crumbling on the inside—
The Lord says this to you, “You are mine.”
If cancer has brought you to a wrestling match with the Lord and you are trying to put life back together as best you can … the Lord says to you: “You are mine.”
Pray: Jesus, thank You that I am Yours and that You are mine. Amen.
Your Turn: “Abba” is an Aramaic word for “father” which expresses affection and trust-—sort of like “daddy” (see Galatians 4:6). Spend just a few moments today praying this prayer: “Abba, Father, I belong to You.”
Justin Wood, Childhood Cancer Survivor
Justin lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky with his wife and six homeschooled kids. Through his life, Justin has become a wonderful mix of entrepreneur, English teacher, and foreign missionary. He is a survivor of childhood cancer. Justin is very grateful for Cancer Companions and the opportunity to be a part of this devotional writing process.
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