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2nd great grand-uncle being baptized in the Ohio River,
circa 1931 |
“And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.”
Genesis 26:1-4
Reading these verses, the Lord showed me how He wanted Isaac to
stay in the land of Canaan, and not to go down into Egypt,
where there was food, water, and relief from the famine.
He actually commanded Isaac to stay under the pressure of the famine-ridden
land of Canaan.
Isn’t this how we are so often?
We want to take the easier way; we want to go into Egypt, where we’ll
have plenty to satisfy us…and where our minds won’t have to worry.
But Jesus wants us to dwell in Canaan –
despite the famine.
Because this land of Canaan is our Lord Jesus Himself.
The rich Land in which we dwell….
the Milk and Honey that overflows us….
And yet, He does allow hardship and trials to come to His people.
Times of drought and famine…..
to teach them to look to Him, to seek Him for their sustenance,
and to make them draw nearer to Him.
He doesn’t want us to flee these trials….
these times of hunger and thirst….
He doesn’t want us to flee from Him.
My Life in Him 