Daily Devotions
Genesis
"That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth." Psalm 83:18
Text: Genesis 26:1-35
A TREMENDOUS EXAMPLE OF PATIENT FAITH
Time and again, the Philistines harassed Isaac. Well after well had been dug, but always there was contention from the Philistines. They belligerently declared that the wells Isaac had dug belonged to them! Again and again, Isaac refused to resort to violence to resolve conflicts. He would trust the God of his father Abraham! He would trust this God who had graciously revealed Himself and who had spoken to him! How long could the Philistines keep up with these acts of harassment?
“And he moved from there and dug another well,
and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth,
because he said, ‘For now the Lord has made room for us,
and we shall be fruitful in the land.'”GENESIS 26:22
“Rehoboth – The Lord had made room for us”
The well was most appropriately named. Rehoboth means, “room” or “spaciousness”. It is refreshing to note that Isaac had kept his faith intact! He believed with all his heart that the Lord knew about all his trials! If he kept up his faith and trust in Him, even though he was severely tested, surely he would be blessed and rewarded! He was not incorrect in his understanding of his faith in God. At the well Rehoboth, the Philistines ceased their incessant harassment! As much as the Lord had allowed the testing, His hand of blessing must also be acknowledged! God had indeed given them room!
“We shall be fruitful in the land”
What a great faith Isaac maintained all this while! Now only did he believe that God had given them Rehoboth, but He would surely bless him in his endeavours! He had been fruitful before (Genesis 26:12-13). He believed with all his heart, that God would help them to be “fruitful in the land”.
FAITH REWARDED!
After establishing the well Rehoboth, Isaac returned to Beersheba. He had much livestock, and thus he needed to establish many centers where water would be essential to their life support! His faith in God had not been in vain. The Lord paid him another visit
“Then he went up from there to Beersheba.
And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said,
‘I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear,
for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your
descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.””GENESIS 26:23-24
To have just a single visit from the Lord was grand enough! But to have a second visit? Isaac had heard his father speak of how the Lord had spoken to him in times past! This time round, Isaac appreciated the significance of the Lord’s visit even more!