Read: Genesis 26:1-16 Place of Blessing“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;” Gen.26:3
God had instructed Isaac not to leave Gerar and go to Egypt during the famine. Isaac obeyed God and stayed. This was God’s appointed place to bless Isaac. Isaac sowed in the land of affliction and within that year reaped a hundredfold. He went on from greatness to greatness in the land. He became so prosperous that the people of the land desired that he would leave for he had become mightier than them. He became the envy of Philistines for he had great possessions and wealth, livestock and servants.
God’s instructions when followed always lead us to prosperity and peace. The outward circumstances do not determine if that is a place of blessing or not. It is God who decides where we are to be blessed. Sometimes God chooses for us to remain in the hard dry places so that we can see and experience His supernatural provision and blessing on our lives.
“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isa.43:19
What are the hard dry places of your life? God chooses to show Himself faithful to you in those areas. When we yield to Him and His way we will also enjoy fruitfulness. Our situation may be God’s special ground for blessing us. We need to listen to what God instructs us.
“Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.” Isa.48:17
It is the presence of God that makes all the difference. Moses understood the importance of the presence of God
“And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”Exd.33:15 God manifested His presence with the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night .Exd.13:21. As long as the cloud remained in the place they remained but when it lifted they would move and follow it.
“But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up”Exd.40:37. Just as Israel depended on the Lord to lead them we also need God`s help along our way.
When we face a crisis, like Isaac did with the famine, we should turn to God for wisdom and direction. Isaac could have tried to escape the famine but may have ended up worse off in Egypt. Only God can see end from beginning. He knows the best way for us. Gods grace is sufficient to meet our every need while we are in a difficult place. Instead of running from our problems God want us to be still and know His sovereignty in our situation.
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Ps.46:10 God will not fail us when we choose to believe Him and obey.
“For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”Gen.41:52
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