BLESSINGS
ATTRACT ENVY: Devotion for Thursday September 8, 2016
Text:
Genesis 26:15 – 23 Memory verse:
Genesis 26:16
God is ever faithful to the words He has
spoken and He keeps them. He doesn’t make a promise without
keeping to it. We have series of promises He made to His people which were
fulfilled. Though some took a long time to come to pass, the long time in our
eyes is not so with God.
He kept His promise to bless Isaac (Genesis 26:3)
as Isaac was blessed (Genesis 26:13). The Bible stated that he started
prospering until he became prosperous. The neighbouring Philistines grew
jealous because everything Isaac did seemed to go right. The first step they
took was to plug his wells and tried to get rid of him. By this they thought
his blessings will cease. Being jealous is a very bad and it is a dividing
force that can tear apart the closest friends. Life Application Notes says, “Jealousy
forces you to separate yourself from what you were longing for in the first
place. When you find yourself becoming jealous of others, try thanking God for
their good fortune.”
The jealousy and envy of the Philistines
against Isaac made him to relocate three times and on each occasion, he and his
men dug new well. In the first two disputes that arose between Isaac and the
Philistines, he moved on. He opted to avoid quarrel and troubles of the
Philistines by moving to a more neutral ground. Here is a lesson and challenge
for us Christians of this generation. Isaac moved on without challenging back
for his rights which were denied him. He finally got to a place where there was
room enough for him and the Philistines. Instead of Isaac resorting to start a
huge conflict, he opted for give and take for the sake of peace between him and
his landlords. We should be willing to forsake an important position or
valuable possession to keep peace as those who bear the name of Christ.
Beloved, it shouldn’t be a surprise when your Landlord,
your colleagues, your neighbours, etc, begins to envy you. Picking quarrels
against them will be a mark of immaturity. With the blessing of God upon you,
you are greater than them and will continue to excel above them. If someone is
jealous of you, it means you have something he or she doesn’t have. Why then will you
be offended? Know that the more they envy you, the more you will continue to
prosper. It is my sincere desire that God will prosper you till you become
prosperous in Jesus name. Amen
Food
for Thought:
Exodus 1:9
Prayer:
Lord
God, grant me the wisdom to know when to withdraw and when to stand and fight
when people are against me.
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