Flourishing in a time of famine Reading: Genesis 26:1-14.

Flourishing in a time of famine Genesis 26:1-14 (N.I.V) “Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham…

…I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my Decrees and my instructions…” Flourishing in a time of famine

…So Isaac stayed in Gerar. When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful. ” When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah… Flourishing in a time of famine

…So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us…” Flourishing in a time of famine

…So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. Flourishing in a time of famine

Five things to learn from this passage: 1. God's promises are for His children. 2. God's promises are in the land that He gives. 3. God's promises are for those who are not perfect. 4. God's promises are for us no matter what the circumstances. 5. God's promises are for those who sow. Flourishing in a time of famine

1. God's promises are for His children. Isaac was blessed simply because he was a son of Abraham. In like manner, we are blessed because we are the spiritual sons of Abraham. Galatians 3.29 – “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”. In Luke 11:13 we read that God gives good gifts to his sons. Flourishing in a time of famine

2. God's promises are in the land that He gives. His promises come to us when we live in the land He has given us... when we are in the right place. We need to be planted in the place that God puts us. Some people are always looking for greener pastures. However, the secret is to live and invest into the place God puts you. Flourishing in a time of famine

3. God's promises are for those who are not perfect. Isaac lied to protect his wife. Yet even though Isaac erred, God still blessed him. Isaac lied because of fear. He was by no means perfect! You need to understand that it is the grace of God and not what we deserve. God is a good God. He even seems to give pretty wives to his sons. Abraham's wife Sarah was 90 years old and the king wanted to marry her! Flourishing in a time of famine

4. God's promises are for us no matter the circumstances. Isaac planted and nobody else did. Nobody else had the courage to plant. God will give you courage to plant in areas where it seems to be barren. God can make a way, where there seems to be no way! Flourishing in a time of famine

5. God's promises are for those who sow. What we sow determines what we reap! Seeds take different lengths of time to produce. A Peanut tree takes 40 years to produce What we sow not only effects ourselves but our children and future generations! Flourishing in a time of famine

Conclusion: Isn’t it interesting to see how others become jealous when someone begins to do well. (Vs 14 “He had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.”) There are always people who will rise up and criticise, sometimes through envy. Let us not be put off but make the most of every opportunity. “May we flourish in a time of famine” Flourishing in a time of famine