The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 26:24-31, The LORD appeared to him (Isaac) the same night and said, “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 the sake of My servant Abraham.”
25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.
26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with his adviser Ahuzzath and Phicol the commander of his army.
27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”
28 They said, “We see plainly that the LORD has been with you; so we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you,
29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.'”
30 Then he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
31 In the morning they arose early and exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace.”

It’s amazing how humanly natured some people are when they assess that you are stronger. At the same time, it’s amazing how strong some people are when they simply put their trust in the Hands of the LORD!

In the earlier verses of this same chapter (Genesis 26), Isaac and his servants were digging wells. There was a famine in the land at that time, and water was one commodity that no one could do without. For a time, there was quarreling over the water. Yet, in time, the two groups came together and agreed upon an oath.

What occasioned Isaac’s men to agree with those who oppossed them concerning the wells, was simply the Hand of the LORD. Abimelech, King of the Philistines, assessed that Isaac was the stronger of the two. And Isaac’s strength and Abimelech’s conclusion were due to the Hand of the LORD.

Occasionally, Christians suffer confrontation from non-believers. Yet, the key to friendship always comes from the Hand of the LORD. Like the well-diggers of Isaac, congeniality came when they all agreed to be friendly and took an oath to that end.

Don’t give up on your friends that don’t know Christ Jesus, even when they disagree. Just as the LORD orchestrated unity between Abimelech’s and Isaac’s men, He will orchestrate peace between you and your unsaved friends. Inasmuch as Christianity is stronger, we must take the first few steps. We are not alone! “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD…” (Psa. 37:23).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom