The good life

DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE GOOD LIFE

Gen 26:1-6

26:1 Now there was a famine in the land — besides the earlier famine of Abraham's time — and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. 2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws." 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

NIV

There are times when we make plans based on the physical circumstances around us. Here because of another famine it appears Isaac is thinking about heading down to Egypt as his father before him had done. When times get tough the tough get going, or at least the saying goes. But this going was not the type the saying implies. He was going to leave the area to find a better environment to live in. Famines tend to make it difficult to both have food for himself and all his servants and feed the flocks and herds which represented a man’s wealth. When Isaac headed out he first went to Gerar where the king of the Philistines, Abimelech ruled. This is still in the land of the Canaanites, sort of close to the modern day Gaza strip. He had not yet gone very far on his journey to escape the famine when God intervened in a vision giving him specific instructions as what not to do. Just because there is a famine in the land is no reason to leave it as it will be your land and your descendants land and you and they will be blessed. This is the basic message God gave to him.  Stay put no matter what the circumstances look like for God will surely take care of it. We are going to see Isaac make the same mistake his father made with the same king, or perhaps another king of the same name. This certainly was not the intent of God by telling him to stay put.  But our lesson is in this intervention of God. There are many times in our lives when our physical circumstances seem to be difficult and we might decide to try to change our circumstances by making major plans to move, or change jobs, or get married or divorced, in an attempt to just run away from it all. What we need to know is what does God want us to do and not to do. Isaac was looking to inward to rescue himself rather than looking to God. But God would not have that, so he appeared to Isaac to insure him of the correct plan for his life.

Prov 19:21

21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

NIV

Prov 16:9

9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

NIV

Both these Proverbs say the same thing in different ways, but illustrate for us the fact God has a better way for us then we might think. When the situation is difficult to live in, we try to escape it with our own thinking. But God needs to be counseled with to determine what his plan in our life is. It may well be that he wants us to stay in the midst of a difficult situation so that he can bless us and people will see God at work rather than man. The ungodly live with their own choices and make their way for their own betterment. We need to live God’s way so that our choices are his choices and then he will get all the honor and glory for our betterment, even in difficult situations. This is not to say the only course or action is to stay put, as he commanded Isaac. But this is to say whatever we do in any circumstance needs to be at the hand of God. Sometimes we might think God is not giving us any specific instructions regarding our choices in situations. But that might be because we are not listening. We can be assured he will answer our prayers, but we need to listen. The world is screaming with so much noise it does make it difficult at times to hear that still small voice of the Lord. But the point is we should not rush to judgment regarding any change until we hear that still small voice of the Lord giving us our instructions. Then we can live with the confidence he will bless us, even in a difficult situation. In the case of Isaac he told him directly not to go down into Egypt but to stay in the land of Canaan. In our case God might say the same thing, or he might tell us to get up and go someplace. We cannot put him in a box and think he will always give the same instructions to everyone. What we can do is make sure we listen for the specific instructions for us. When we get them, then it is time to execute them without hesitation.

Prov 1:7

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

KJV

Hesitation, once hearing from God, causes us to lose out on the blessings he intends for us to have. So here we are, doing and living as God desires, being where he wants us, doing that which he has instructed and being content in our lives, knowing we are in the will of God. How better can life be? Life in Christ is good. It is the ultimate good life.