Genesis chapter 26

Two things here struck me. 

Firstly, this is about trusting God.  The chapter starts off with the Lord telling Isaac to avoid Egypt and go live where He tells him and then He will bless Isaac because Abraham, Isaac's father, obeyed the Lord and kept his commandments.  Isaac here followed the example of his father, and he trusted in God.  As a result, his crops harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, because God blessed him, even though there was a severe famine.

Secondly, Isaac repeats exactly the same thing that Abraham did - he claims that Rebekah is his sister just as Abraham told others that Sarah was his sister, not his wife.  I reckon he learned this from Abraham, or at least got to know that his father had used this excuse.

Have you ever watched children copying their parents?  They copy their speech, their mannerisms.  Someone I know told me of her grandson who at the age of 4 threw his wellington boot across the floor and said "F*** this!", obviously having heard one of his parents say that.  The times I have seen my children do something and I know it is because they have seen me or my husband do the very same thing. 

To me,  this is a warning to try and live my life in such a way that my children will see me do nothing bad, nothing that is wrong.  I am very often unsuccessful in this, but I would hate for my behaviour, my actions to cause my children to stumble, to do something they clearly shouldn’t, just because they saw me do it.   I know they are older now, after all our youngest is 15 so they are developing their own mannerisms, attitudes and responses to situations and people, but they still notice how we as parents behave.   It is such a responsibility bringing up children and yet such a blessing and a joy.   Children follow the example of their parents. 

And here, Isaac is following the example of his father, both the good and the bad.  Yes, he is showing great faith, but he is also showing that often he relies on his own wits rather than turning to God.  That such an example today, as  you can clearly see both Abraham and Isaac mess up at times, go their own way and get it wrong yet they are both such men of faith.  But their hearts were right with God, and when your heart is right with God, everything else falls into place, no matter how much you may mess up your life.  

It's a reminder that God forgives us when we mess up.  After all, look how Abraham and Isaac are held up as men of faith.  Look at David, a man after God's own heart yet he was an adulterer, a murderer.  Nothing we have done is so bad that God cannot forgive us when we truly repent.

And look at the response of Isaac to the things that happened to him.  He did not take the credit himself for the abundant harvest or the growth in his riches.  No, instead he gave thanks to God, especially after God appeared to him in a dream:

Genesis 26:23-25 (The Message)

 From there he went up to Beersheba. That very night God appeared to him and said, 

   I am the God of Abraham your father; 

      don't fear a thing because I'm with you. 

   I'll bless you and make your children flourish 

      because of Abraham my servant. 

 Isaac built an altar there and prayed, calling on God by name. He pitched his tent and his servants started digging another well.

How often do I remember to thank God?  To give Him the praise and the glory when things go well, when I get paid on time, when unexpected bills (and expected ones) are not a problem?  This is a reminder to give thanks at all times, even when things go badly. Giving praise to God also takes your mind of your worries and gets it back focused on God.  When you lift your eyes to heaven, the things of this world are not as important as they seem when you have your eyes on the world and all that it offers and holds.