Our Way or His Way

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

OUR WAY OR HIS WAY

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

Once again, we see the LORD's faithfulness as he directed Isaac's path and blessed him. Issac thought he should go to another land because of the famine where he was living, but the LORD had other plans. The Lord told him to live in the land he told him to live in, to stay where he told him to stay. As a result of doing what the LORD said, he would be with him and bless him. Although the LORD gave Isaac the same blessing about his descendants that he gave to his father, Abraham, the great life lesson lies in the LORD's will for Isaac. "Do not go." "Live where I tell you." Stay when I say stay." These were very specific instructions with the bonus of the LORD's blessing. All throughout the lives of these men of old, we see the pattern: when they make their own choices, things do not go well with them, but when they listen to the LORD's plans and obey, things go well with them. Should we not learn from that pattern? Why would we insist on making our own choices in life, when we know our choices will not go well,  for they are usually, if not always, self-centered? Why would we not want to live a God-centered life, simply following His leading, His direction, to not go, live here, stay where he wants? If we are listening, if we have ears to hear, then we will know where we are to go, where we are to live, and how long we are to stay. We made the confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, which Lord means overseer, leader, supreme authority; so then should we not follow his instructions to a T? Again, that would require having ears to hear and listening to his voice, for as we stop talking, we would hear his commands, and as we follow, he will bless us far more than we could imagine or do on our own. We can see the incredible blessing on Abraham because he obeyed and kept his requirements, commands, decrees, and laws. It comes down to either living poorly or richly, our way or his way.