the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 1 of 5
Genesis 26:1-16
Isaac has not derived any profit from his father’s sad experiences in Genesis 12:1-20 and Genesis 20:1-18. Put to the test by the famine, he also stays in Gerar and because he is afraid, he there disowns his wife in deceiving Abimelech. History repeats itself with the same consequences again and we know the story only too well: lack of courage to confess our relationship with Christ, fear of being made to look a fool, false testimony before the world which incurs judgment. But, very soon afterwards, we read of a beautiful incident in the story of the patriarch. In order to keep himself and his family safe from the famine, he sows seed and gathers in the harvest; God blesses his work. The Philistines become jealous of his prosperity (v. 14). As in the time of Abraham, they try to deprive the man of God of water, vital for life (Genesis 21:25). It is provided by the old wells, a picture of the Word and of the sources of spiritual refreshment which generations before us have enjoyed and which we must dig for ourselves. And these malicious Philistines who block up the wells with earth, make us think of the Enemy of our souls who makes every effort to fill our lives with earthly things. He wants to deprive us of the living Word which is indispensable to our spiritual prosperity.
