Sharing on 28 August 2009

Learning to Flourish During Difficult Times
by Joshua

Introduction

We live in a very uncertain world. Many predict that difficult times are ahead. But regardless of what is happening around us, we need not be shaken. We don’t have to live in fear. We need not panic or live constantly in despair. Jesus said in John 16: 33 , In this world, you will have troubles. But take heart, I have overcome the world”. In fact, the uncertain times are golden opportunity for Christians to live out our faith. He wants to demonstrate to the world that He takes care of His children even in difficult times. Our God reigns over our lives. If God is for us, who can be against us”. Roman 8:31

Isaac Flourished in the midst of difficult times

There are wonderful stories in the OT of how took care His servants and children during difficult times. This evening, we would like to focus on of His servants, Isaac. We can learn much from Isaac, especially how he flourished during difficult times. Genesis 26: 26:1- 6; 12 -22 records two major problems Isaac faced.

The first struggle was an economic disaster

We read in verse 1 that there was a famine in the land. There was not enough food for his family and his servants if he had stayed in the land. There was not enough grass for his flocks and herds too. Economically he was devastated by the famine. He had no choice but to pack and leave. Where would he go? Egypt would be a natural choice. In the past, His father, Abraham went to Egypt. And Egypt at that was well watered by River Nile. We read that Isaac went to King Abimelech in Gerar, instead. As Egypt was far way, perhaps Gerar was the waiting place before he could make his move to Egypt. But Gerar was not spared from famine. Now the defining moment of his life came at this least expected place. He had an encounter with God. In verse 2, we read, “the Lord appeared to Isaac and said, do not go to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live, stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you”. And Isaac obeyed the Lord”.

What happened next? As an act of obedience, Isaac sowed seeds in the land of famine. In the same year, he reaped a hundredfold harvest. He became rich, but not only that, his wealth increased until he was very rich. Gen 26:13. He prospered right in the land of famine. This is awesome. God did the miracle. God provides and takes care of us when we are in the right place, strategically aligned to His purposes even when the prevailing circumstances in that place may not be to our liking or preference. Isaac was where God wanted him to be. He was obedient to what God told him to do. He stayed in that place. He sowed seed in that land. He trusted the Lord. And God prospered him. Where God plants us, He will prosper us and make us fruitful despite real or apparent challenges. Amen.

The second struggle was an unwanted opposition (Gen 26:14 -33)

As Isaac prospered, the people of Gerar became very envious of him. They teamed up together to drive Isaac away. Their strategy was simple - to fill up the wells of Isaac with dirt and earth. How did Isaac respond? He did not waste his energy defending his wells. He moved away from the city of Gerar and dug a new well. But the herdsmen of Gerar pursued him there too and made an unreasonable claim over the wells for their flocks. He did not confront them although he had every reason to do so. It is interesting to note that Isaac was simply re-digging the wells that belonged to the father. Isaac was a peace-loving person. He preferred not to have strife with the people. So he and his servants moved on and dug another well and the same thing happened. And so they moved on and dug another well again. This time there were no disturbances from the Philistines. No more disputes. No more conflicts. This time he enjoyed rest and peace in this place. So Isaac named it “Rehoboth” which means a large room; a large place. He said the Lord has given us a large place and we will flourish in this land”. What a wonderful confession and declaration.

Perhaps some of at this time us may be facing unwarranted opposition and challenges in our work places, in your businesses or even among your relatives. We may feel we are being bullied and chased from place to place. We may feel being unfairly treated and taken advantage of. There may be some “Philistines” mocking at you and trying to make your life very difficult and even miserable. Take courage from the life of Isaac. If we know we are in the right place and rightly aligned to His purposes and His callings in our lives, we need not follow the methods of the world – defensive and fight to the end. Don’t misunderstand me. Sometime the right thing to do is to dig in and fight. But there are also times when we have to let go and move on. We need wisdom and discernment from God. He will show us what to do as He did for Nehemiah when he was intimidated by Sanballat. He fought the battle with the help of the Lord. Friends, not all battles are worth fighting. There are times God will engage us in spiritual warfare. There are also times He will tell us that the battle belongs to Him. In such times, all we have to do is to stand still and see the glory of God as King Jehoshaphat did. We need to be discerning to the Holy Spirit and do what is right in that situation. The major truth we can learn from Isaac is that God vindicates His servant in the midst of unwarranted opposition and resistance. He brought him to a larger place to flourish.

Conclusion

Are you where God wants you to be? If you are, then hang in there. God is bringing you into your “Rehoboth” – a large place and He will cause you to flourish. He is going to take care of you and allow you to flourish even in the midst of your perplexing and difficult circumstances. We must live by faith and not by sight. To conclude, Isaac’s experiences and responses inspire us to go back to the basics. What are they?

Isaac sought the Lord.

He listened to the Lord.

He obeyed the Lord.

He acted on his faith by sowing seed in the land of famine.

And he prospered. Hallelujah!