👑 The King is coming soon – Hope beyond the end
📅 February 18 – The Time of Jacob’s Trouble
Monthly Theme: The Great Controversy – The Conflict Between Good and Evil
Yearly Theme 2026: “Soon the King Is Coming – Hope Beyond the End”
📖 Central Bible Text of the Day
“Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it;
it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble,
but he shall be saved out of it.”
— Jeremiah 30:7
🌅 Devotion of the Day
The “time of Jacob’s trouble” refers to the final and most severe test of faith for God’s people, shortly before Jesus returns.
It is not merely a time of outward catastrophes, but a deep inner trial —
a battle of faith,
in which every soul wrestles personally with God.
Just as Jacob once wrestled at night by the Jabbok,
so the righteous in the last days
will struggle for forgiveness, protection, and victory.
“I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
— Genesis 32:26
Ellen G. White wrote:
“In the time of Jacob’s trouble
God’s people will pass through a deep soul-searching experience.
Their faith, love, and trust will be tested,
but they will come forth victorious
because they cling firmly to God.”
(The Great Controversy, p. 622)
✨ The Background: Jacob’s Night of Wrestling
Jacob had brought guilt upon himself when he deceitfully obtained his brother’s blessing.
Many years later,
on his way back to Canaan,
he heard that Esau was coming with four hundred men.
Fear seized him,
and he remained alone — in darkness, in fear, and in repentance.
That night he wrestled not only with an angel,
but with God Himself —
for forgiveness, for grace, for peace.
“And Jacob wrestled with Him until the breaking of day.”
— Genesis 32:24
This struggle was not merely physical,
but a spiritual breakthrough.
Jacob confessed his sin,
clung to God’s promise,
and was blessed with the name Israel:
“For you have struggled with God and have prevailed.”
So also God’s faithful people in the last days
will stand in that final night of earth’s history —
not fighting against people,
but wrestling in the heart.
🌿 The Inner Struggle of God’s People
When probation has closed
and the plagues fall,
the righteous will experience deep anguish.
Not because they distrust God,
but because they feel unworthy
to receive His grace.
“Will the Lord cast off forever?
Will His mercy cease forevermore?”
— Psalm 77:7–8
They will have no visible proof of forgiveness.
Heaven may seem silent.
Yet in the darkness, faith will shine —
not as a feeling, but as a decision.
Ellen White describes this experience:
“When they see no outward help,
when hope almost seems gone,
they live by faith alone.
They cling to God,
as Jacob did, and say:
‘I will not let You go unless You bless me!’”
(The Great Controversy, p. 630)
This time will perfect their character.
The trust that grew in peace
will stand firm in the storm.
🕊️ The Purpose of Jacob’s Trouble
God allows this experience not to destroy,
but to purify.
He tests faith not to break it,
but to refine it.
“I will refine them…
They will call on My name,
and I will answer them.”
— Zechariah 13:9
As gold shines in the fire,
so faith will shine in suffering.
The righteous will realize
that Christ truly is all they have —
and all they need.
Ellen White wrote:
“The time of Jacob’s trouble is designed
to reveal a people of God
who stand on the foundation of pure faith.
They have learned to trust,
even when they see no evidence.”
(Maranatha, p. 309)
🌄 God’s Answer at Dawn
Just as Jacob was blessed at the end of the night,
God’s people will be delivered
when the morning of the eternal day breaks.
“At that time Michael shall stand up,
the great Prince
who stands watch over the sons of your people.”
— Daniel 12:1
Anguish will turn into joy,
tears into triumph.
They will recognize:
Christ was with them all along —
invisible, yet faithful.
Ellen White describes:
“The night of anguish passes,
and the morning of joy dawns.
The face of Jesus appears,
and their voices rise in victorious praise:
‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him!’”
(The Great Controversy, p. 640)
🙏 Prayer
Lord,
teach me to trust You in the darkness,
as Jacob did in the night at the Jabbok.
When doubts press upon me,
remind me that You are faithful.
Strengthen my faith,
so that I may say:
“I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
Prepare me for the time of testing,
that my trust may be genuine
and my heart remain steadfast.
Amen.
💭 Thought for the Day
“The time of Jacob’s trouble is a time of faith,
not of fear.
Whoever rests in Christ
will be led through the night into the light of the eternal day.”
— Ellen G. White, Maranatha, p. 310
💡 Personal Application
-
Read Genesis 32:22–32 and Psalm 46.
Pray over Jacob’s experience and ask for the same perseverance in faith. -
Pray: “Lord, teach me to hold fast to You, even when I cannot see You.”
-
Practical:
If you are tested today,
remember: every small test of faith is preparation
for the day when you must believe in complete darkness.
🌺 Closing Verse
“For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
but joy comes in the morning.”
— Psalm 30:5
