January 5, 2021
The Right Place at the Right Time
The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. (Genesis 26:13-14)
Before you make a move, my child stops and pray, asking God where He desires for you to live or what He desires for you to do! Where you are planted is very important and will often determine whether or not you are blessed. Isaac is an excellent example of being in the right place at the right time, even if the economy is not good. There was a famine in the Gerar, and Isaac was planning to move to Egypt, but the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. Live as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. As a result, I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants, all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I will do this because Abraham listened to Me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions. So, Isaac stayed in Gerar. (Genesis 26:1-5)
When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him. He became a rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. So, the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by Abraham. (Genesis 26:13-14) Have you been challenged? Stay focused, listen, and obey the Lord. He will bless you when you remain faithful and obey Him! Finally, King Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us. “So, Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them. (Genesis 26:17-18)
Isaac moved and dug wells four times, and the Philistines filled them with dirt, or the herdsmen of Gerar argued with him over water rights. But the fifth time he moved and dug a well of water, they didn’t try to claim the well for themselves, so Isaac named this well Rehoboth meaning, ‘for now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land!’ (Genesis 26:19-22) No matter what, ‘you cannot give up!’ You must stay alert! The enemy roams about the earth seeking whom he may overwhelm or destroy. (1 Peter 5:8) The enemy of your destiny is out to steal from you, kill and destroy you, but Jesus came to give you life and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) He may try to go against you, but if you do not give up and stay focused on God eventually, you will wear the enemy out, and he will leave you alone! That’s what Isaac did; he persisted even in the face of adversity, and God blessed him. Don’t give up! Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
