Faith of Our Fathers - Isaac: Confident in God

Reflections from Genesis 26

This story in Genesis 26 gives both a positive and a negative example from the life of Isaac of how we are to deal with the dragons in our lives. In the first episode, Isaac lies to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, claiming that his wife, Rebekah, is really his sister because he is afraid the Philistines will kill him on account of her. Is his fear legitimate? Considering that God had pronounced His blessing on Isaac and on his descendants – in fact He repeats the word “descendants” four times in the span of two verses – his fear reveals his mistrust of God. Yet God is faithful to Isaac and blesses him.

In the second episode, Isaac suffers unjustly at the hands of the Philistines as they claim well after well that Isaac’s servants have dug for themselves. But instead of retaliating, which he had the resources and manpower to do, he chooses to trust God and reconciles with Abimelech, showing him grace.

It’s easy to see how Isaac could respond like he did in the first episode, but how could he let the Philistines take advantage of him and not retaliate? Who does that? If I don’t look out for my own interests, who will? I think quite possibly the hardest thing for me to do in the Christian life is to give up my so-called rights. So many times I struggle deep down with trusting God to look out for me. This is especially true when it comes to interactions with those I think have wronged me. Instead of turning the other cheek or not taking into account a wrong suffered, I immediately come to my own defense and let them know that I was right, they were wrong, and I was offended. More often than not, I find that they were more right, I was more wrong, and the relationship is damaged because of my bruised ego. Yet in those moments when I have dared to trust God to look out for me and chosen not to retaliate, He has always proved faithful…and the relationship benefits because of it.

Father, so many times I’m like the man who cried out, “I believe, help my unbelief!” Grant me the courage to trust You…to taste and see that You are good, that truly blessed is the man who trusts in You! May we as a people be willing to refrain from retaliation and reconcile with grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.