The Valley of Gerar

Genesis 26:17-30

Message No. 0703 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

Many people go through life in cycles. Some days they are happy and on other days they are not so happy. Sometimes they are strong and at other times they are weak. In some seasons they are radiant and in others they are gloomy. Their lives can best be described as bipolar, oscillating between excitement and depression, making life altogether painful.

Now, we all desire to live a continuous life of success and joy and promotions and celebrations. No one prays to live a roller coaster type of life filled with ups and downs. Sadly, life happens to people, and sometimes Christians are not exempted. In Genesis 26, Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. There, God informed him to not go down to Egypt because of the prevailing famine in the land, so he decided to stay there. When the people of the land saw how God blessed him mightily in the midst of the famine, they were envious and decided to deport him.

As Abimelech drove him away, Isaac lived in the Valley of Gerar, but for him, the trouble had just started. His servants dug a well, found water, but the herdsmen of Gerar confiscated it, saying, the water is ours. Isaac called the well Esek, which means Quarrel. Then the servants dug another, found water, and again the herdsmen of Gerar took that one too. Isaac called its name Sitnah, meaning Enmity. As we can imagine, Isaac was not just in a physical valley, he was in a spiritual valley also, brooding over what was happening and wondering if God had forgotten him.

An old adage says when a big trouble pushes you down, smaller ones often climb on you as well. Sometimes life treats God’s children as it treated Isaac. They encounter a strong challenge and as they are trying to figure out what is happening, other challenges befall them as well, the multiplication of these making some people to begin to ask, where is God? I have good news for you, God has not left His Throne. He continues to be in charge, no matter what season of life we might be going through, and He has never been closer to us than He is in challenging times.

While Isaac was being bullied by the people of Gerar and he felt overpowered by forces mightier than him, the Mightiest of all mighties appeared to him in Genesis 26:24-25 and told him:

 "I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake." So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well.

When Isaac’s servants dug the third well and there was no quarrel over it, he called its name Rehoboth, meaning Spaciousness, for he said, now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. Abimelech discovered that Isaac continued to wax great, so he had no choice but to travel to meet him and to make a covenant with him.

Life may be treating some people as it treated Isaac in Gerar. Your bullies are not the herdsmen of Gerar, but there are modern bullies like higher and unbearable interest rates, unbearable inflation making people to cut down drastically on groceries and other essentials of life, unaffordable rents, and the devaluation of local currencies where goods are now technically denominated in hard currencies, just to mention a few.

God may not appear to you in the same way as He appeared to Isaac, but the scriptures are written to enable us to learn the character of God. If He dug Isaac out of the valley of Gerar, please rest assured that He will dig you out of this modern valley as well. Only do not fear but continue to trust Him, because His Word says in Hebrews 10:23, He who has promised is faithful. As we enter spring season in a few days, may you also enter a spiritual spring whereby your life experiences deliverance, upliftment, and breakthrough. May you soon declare Rehoboth, in Jesus’ name.

Note – I observed that the website did not broadcast the message of last week. It’s a weird occurrence, but please follow this link to read the message on the website https://www.wisdom-speaks.ca/post/eye-on-the-ball Thanks and God bless you.

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 PLEASE ACT NOW:
 If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
 Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!