Genesis 26:1-4 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and will bless thee; for unto thee, and thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
The above passage is a reassurance of God’s promises for Isaac. God states that His relationship with Abraham, and her blessings, are for Isaac, as well. The Lord restates and emphasizes the covenant promises He had made to Abraham and is now making to Isaac. Gerar was a place of rest and not the final destination of Isaac. In this, God was checking out for the total belief and obedience of Isaac.
Though the land of Gerar doesn’t look attractive or meaningful to Isaac, it seems to be dry land, there was a famine in the land. Yet, God instructed Isaac to dwell there with his family and his children.Hence, when God gives instruction, he sends provisions to cater to the present needs. As humans, we tend to reason and think as who we are, but God who has brought us far knows the end of a thing at the beginning.
Many times, God uses foolish things of this world to confound the wise. To walk with God, you must have the attributes that can only be found in God, paying attention to every one of His instructions to you. The seed that gives the best increase is the seed of obedience because it is a product of submission to the will of God and demonstrates the faithfulness of God. When you obey God, you can never be stranded.
Is God giving you an instruction that seems difficult, hard, or impossible to follow? Why not take the step in obedience and believe him for what he has said. God knows how to make people who obey Him triumph and successful, our responsibility is to yield and follow his plans.
When God called Abraham, He gave him assurance which He fulfilled. Abraham hearkened to the instructions God gave him and God’s promises for him were fulfilled (Genesis 12:1-3).
For every call, there is a word of assurance. Isaac was on his way down to Egypt when God encountered him. It seemed to be a place where greener pastures are but God has a better plan for him. He obeyed God and became extremely rich. This can be likened to individual life, and this is the question you need to ask yourself. Are you following the plans of God for your life or you are totally out of His plan?
Isaac never knew Gerar wasn’t his final destination but Rehoboth. Never allow what you are going through to determine your life. The obedience of Isaac on the land of Gerar brought about his multiplication, abundance, and increase so much that the people in the land envied him.
Carefully take a personal reflection on the following
- what God is telling you on every step and decision you are taking or about take.
- Is God leading you or you are leading yourself?
Reflect and believe that if God can prosper Isaac he will also prosper you.
When Isaac was sowing it wasn’t easy because the land was very dry but with persistence and the effectiveness of God’s word in his heart, the land yielded her increase unto him and the people of the land envied him.
