“When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.”” (Genesis 26:26–29, ESV)
We see plainly that the Lord has been with you … You are now the blessed of the Lord. God’s blessings are often so evident that others can see them. How others respond will depend on the character of the witness. Some will be afraid and send you away. Some will be jealous and want what you have. And then, still others, despite their hatred for you, will want to make sure that there is a truce between you, a peace-treaty so to speak.
That’s the power of the blessing of God. It is so evident that anyone with half a once of observation will notice it. And, the point of this is that the blessings of God are supernatural. They are visible because people realize that, “You are now the blessed of the Lord.”
Faith receives what faith believes. While Isaac wasn’t a perfect man, he knew his father Abraham was chosen by God to launch the people of God that we know as Israel. His supernatural birth proved that. And so, despite his flaws and the bad example he stole from his father – calling his wife his sister whenever he was traveling and afraid – Isaac knew God was working to perform His plan through him.
As God spoke to Isaac, He promised His presence so he didn’t have to fear, His blessing so he wouldn’t have to struggle, and the opening of Rebekah’s womb so he would enjoy a family. None of it was deserved, but all of it would be visibly evident. Yet, that was in the future.
Just the hundred-fold blessing upon Isaac’s crops was enough to convince King Abimelech that God was working for Isaac. In other words, no one else’s crops had produced a yield on such a grand scale that year. This is just like our God. He loves to show up and show off!
Trust God for greater things, being diligent to serve Him until they do!
Faith Filled Fridays hope to boost your trust in God and accelerate your daring and courage in everyday life. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, writes each encouragement out of a heart that has known both great joy and great loss – his wife of 38 years, 5 months and 2 days was promoted to Heaven on November 11, 2017. Through every experience, God has proven Himself more than faithful and trustworthy. He welcomes your comments below.
