Blessings in the Famine.

Genesis 26:1-6 & 12-33 The Message Paraphrase

1 There was a famine in the land, as bad as the famine during the time of Abraham. And Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar.

2-5 God appeared to him and said, "Don't go down to Egypt; stay where I tell you. Stay here in this land and I'll be with you and bless you. I'm giving you and your children all these lands, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I'll make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky and give them all these lands. All the nations of the Earth will get a blessing for themselves through your descendants. And why? Because Abraham obeyed my summons and kept my charge—my commands, my guidelines, my teachings."

6 So Isaac stayed put in Gerar.

...


12-15 Isaac planted crops in that land and took in a huge harvest. God blessed him. The man got richer and richer by the day until he was very wealthy. He accumulated flocks and herds and many, many servants, so much so that the Philistines began to envy him. They got back at him by throwing dirt and debris into all the wells that his father's servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham, clogging up all the wells.

16 Finally, Abimelech told Isaac: "Leave. You've become far too big for us."

17-18 So Isaac left. He camped in the valley of Gerar and settled down there. Isaac dug again the wells which were dug in the days of his father Abraham but had been clogged up by the Philistines after Abraham's death. And he renamed them, using the original names his father had given them.

19-24 One day, as Isaac's servants were digging in the valley, they came on a well of spring water. The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's shepherds, claiming, "This water is ours." So Isaac named the well Esek (Quarrel) because they quarreled over it. They dug another well and there was a difference over that one also, so he named it Sitnah (Accusation). He went on from there and dug yet another well. But there was no fighting over this one so he named it Rehoboth (Wide-Open Spaces), saying, "Now God has given us plenty of space to spread out in the land." From there he went up to Beersheba. That very night God appeared to him and said,

I am the God of Abraham your father;
don't fear a thing because I'm with you.
I'll bless you and make your children flourish
because of Abraham my servant.
25 Isaac built an altar there and prayed, calling on God by name. He pitched his tent and his servants started digging another well.

26-27 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his advisor and Phicol the head of his troops. Isaac asked them, "Why did you come to me? You hate me; you threw me out of your country."

28-29 They said, "We've realized that God is on your side. We'd like to make a deal between us—a covenant that we maintain friendly relations. We haven't bothered you in the past; we treated you kindly and let you leave us in peace. So—God's blessing be with you!"

30-31 Isaac laid out a feast and they ate and drank together. Early in the morning they exchanged oaths. Then Isaac said good-bye and they parted as friends.

32-33 Later that same day, Isaac's servants came to him with news about the well they had been digging, "We've struck water!" Isaac named the well Sheba (Oath), and that's the name of the city, Beersheba (Oath-Well), to this day.

Selah


I was reading this the other day and thinking about how closely it does, and yet doesn't follow Abraham's story.

God had told Abraham to go out of his country to Canaan. When God told Abraham, it was to help him avoid a Famine that was about to sweep through his homeland. Fast-forward to Isaac, there you will find that a famine indeed comes through Canaan too. But this time, God tells Isaac to stay put. Then, of all the things that could happen, God tells Isaac, "Oh and if you obey me, I will bless you."

In a famine, shortage of food and water, God helped Isaac and his people to uncover 6 wells. 6! When the land was short of food and water, God provided. So much so, that Abimilech tells Isaac to leave because he has too much stuff!

How'd you like to be so blessed that the governor of your state comes to your house and says "Hey, um, you are just too big for us economically. You have to leave, we cannot sustain you anymore!" Think of it, you need groceries, so you walk into Costco, buy out everything they have, then go to Winco, Albertsons, Safeway, QFC, and every other store in the city to buy the whole stock!
.... All this during a "famine"

Selah

Sometimes we go through things that feel like a famine in our lives. Sometimes, we feel like God isn't speaking as much or doing as much as other times. Sometimes we feel like our finances are in a famine and we can't step forward in faith because what we see is famine!

But you have to understand that in God's economy there IS NO SCARCITY!

Let me explain that a bit more. Scarcity is an economic term that describes a relative limit to how much some resource is available. If it is in high demand and there is not a big supply, it is considered scarce.

I have spent time thinking, in the past, "God, how can I get a better paying job? All the good ones are taken, and they are looking for someone who has a degree." God everytime has said to me "I will supply." And then in the Famine, God's word is proven true.

It is based on our ability to recognize God's voice, obey it, and hold on!

Galatians 6:9-10, The Message Paraphrase

So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

The best part about this is that the blessing of God doesn't just stay on you, it spills out into the lives of those closest to us; our children, our friends, our spouse, and if you let it, to those non-believers.

Be so blessed in every way that God uses you as a tool to win the lost just because you are blessed!

Selah.