Choosing Faith Over Fear
Have you ever done the wrong thing for the right reason? Lying to not hurt someone’s feelings? Compromising biblical convictions to keep the peace? Taking revenge to make things right?
Fear can cause us to take matters into our own hands instead of trusting God. Isaac’s response to uncertainty, fear, envy, and conflict in Genesis 26, reminds us how we should live when life gets difficult. We must pursue peace as we trust God’s promises, press on in God’s calling, and rest in God’s presence.
Promises vs. Fears
Genesis 26:1-11. Crisis! Abraham experienced a famine in Genesis 12:10-20 and went to Egypt for relief. A famine is now impacting Isaac’s livelihood in Genesis 26:1. God then commands Isaac to travel to Gerar (not Egypt), but to stay in the land God leads him to (26:2). Egypt would have been a natural choice for relief from the famine for it had access to the Nile and for its natural resources. However, Isaac trusted God instead of choosing an obvious choice. In the middle of this crisis and command, God reaffirms His covenant promises and applies them to Isaac (land, descendants, blessing, 26:3-5). Although, even with the encouragement of God’s promises, Isaac compromises. Isaac’s fear drove him to make poor decisions. Isaac fears for his life and claims Rebekah was his sister (like Abraham did with Sarah when in Egypt seeking relief from famine in Genesis 12).
The Yahoo News reported that firefighters testified they were afraid of retaliation if they challenged their superiors’ handling of the wildfires. As a result, smoldering areas reignited into the Palisades fire that destroyed thousands of homes and killed people.
We cannot let fear persuade us to disobey God when our life’s circumstances become uncertain. Isaac received God’s promises, but when he feared his personal safety seemed threatened, he struggled to trust God. We often do the same! Faith does not mean we never experience fear. Faith means that fear does not become the authority that dictates our decisions. We all face fear throughout our lives. It is our response to fear that makes the difference!
Fear of losing our security. This can happen with the loss of employment, income dries up, housing is threatened, and financial stability becomes a pressure cooker.
Fear of what others will think. We are tempted to compromise our convictions, hide our faith, or go along with wrong doing because we want the approval of people more than the approval of God.
Fear of being hurt. We can sometimes become dishonest, defensive, or controlling because we believe protecting ourselves is more important than obeying God.
Fear of losing control. We can manipulate circumstances, resist God’s timing, or refuse to surrender to God because we believe it is up to us to make sure everything turns our right.
Isaac’s fear is understandable. He was living among people he believed might kill him to take his wife for themselves. The problem is he chose deception instead of trusting God to protect himself.
When fear gains greater strength than the confidence we have in God, we will be tempted to do things that refuse to listen to God and rebel against His way.
Proverbs 3:5-6 is simple, yet profound advice! Whose opinion matters most to you when God’s way becomes costly? The answer to that question will reveal where your fear rules in your heart. Is it a fear of man or of God?
Peace without Compromise
Genesis 26:12-22. Isaac settled in this new land God had led him to and prospered (26:12-14). The result? The Philistines became jealous of his success and stopped up Isaac’s wells. Wells were a crucial part of survival in this region. This was a very serious act of hostility! Isaac opened them back up and dug new ones as well. In fact, Isaac gave the wells names that meant “contention,” “hostility,” and “broad places or room.” This brought more contention and disputes between Isaac and the Philistines (26:15-21); however, Isaac kept digging until the conflicts subsided (26:22).
Edwin Stanton had treated Abraham Lincoln with public contempt. Stanton even dismissed Lincoln as an unworthy country lawyer. However, Lincoln ended up choosing Stanton as his Secretary of War because he recognized Stanton’s abilities! Lincoln did not allow Stanton’s hostility to breed resentment in his heart.
Here is a practical truth we learn from Isaac’s life in this section of scripture: Do not allow other people’s hostility to turn you into a hostile person!
Did you notice something here? Isaac did not insist on winning every contentious exchange. More specifically, he continued to work and move forward. He did not allow the conflict to consume his everyday life! Many in our culture today believe we need to take our stand harder and stronger over every offense, and anything less is a wimp. Not good! Pursuing peace can be an expression of faith, not weakness. This kind of faith is trusting God to resolve the issue without my contributing more contention to the conflict!
How do we sometimes rush to take our stand and end up complicating a better outcome? It is often when we believe we have been treated unjustly. The Philistines filled in Isaac’s wells on his own property. That is unjust treatment (hostility!), but he didn’t run over to their land and return the favor. He didn’t look for them to pay for their crime. He left it in God’s hands. Read through Romans 12:18 and Proverbs 15:1. Sometimes people will hatefully lie about you, disrespect you, try to oppose you because they disagree with you, or will be unkind towards you. Do you rush to gather your army of supporters, rehearse your unfair treatment, and stir your army to rise up against the perpetrators? Or do you keep on doing what God wants you to do and let God work His perfect justice in their lives?
Presence Not Circumstances
In Genesis 26:23-35, the battle is between the presence of God and the circumstances of life. In verse 16, Abimelech asks Isaac to leave their area because he is mightier than the Philistines. When we get to verse 23, we find Isaac has finally found room to prosper in Beersheba, and the LORD assures Isaac with His presence (26:23-25). In response to God’s assurance, Isaac builds an altar and worships the LORD. Then, after all this contention, King Abimelech acknowledges that God is with Isaac and seeks to make a peace agreement with him (26:26-31). God’s presence became evident to the king of the Philistines! When we seek deeper relationship with God, and live in the reality of His presence, others will take notice! They will notice the LORD in you and through you even more.
This chapter then ends with triumph and mourning. First, Isaac’s servants find water in the well they began digging in Beersheba in verse 25. There is great triumph because God once again provides! However, Isaac and Rebekah both grieve greatly because Esau has married Hittite (Canaanite) women. Esau’s decision to marry those who do not worship the one true God connects to the last chapter where it said, he “despised his birthright (something that is also of spiritual significance).” This was more than a cultural disagreement. This was deep emotional pain to Esau’s parents and a negative spiritual pattern for Esau.
Isaac had some pretty heavy life circumstances in Genesis 26! He was confronted with famine, deception, envy, and significant conflicts with the Philistines. How did God help Isaac with these stresses of life? God reminded Isaac of His presence…and then Isaac chose to worship God and continue doing what he was supposed to be doing!
We have stresses of life too! God helps us the same way!
When there is financial instability, God reminds us of His presence and that He provides our needs. Matt. 6:31-33; Heb. 13:5-6
When there is relational conflict, God reminds us of His presence and that He is perfectly just, merciful, and forgiving. Rom. 12:17-19; James 1:19-20.
When there are health complications, God reminds us of His presence and that He is the great physician and that His grace is sufficient. Ex. 15:26; Ps. 46:1; Isaiah 41:10; II Cor. 12:9
When there are temptations that threaten to derail us and hurt our families deeply, God reminds us of His presence, that He is in all places at all times, that we cannot hide our choices from Him, and that He provided daily victory through Jesus Christ. Ps. 139:7-11; Prov. 15:3; Rom. 6:11-14; I Cor. 10:13.
On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers accomplished their first successful airplane flight in North Carolina. This success only came after years of failures, setbacks, crashes, broken equipment, and disappointment after disappointment. They did not succeed because their conditions were always favorable. They succeeded because they continued on despite the difficulties.
Genesis 26 reveals to us that trusting God does not guarantee freedom from difficulty. Isaac experienced uncertainty, fear, envy, and repeated conflicts. However, he continued moving forward under God’s promises!
Where is your fear tempting you to have less confidence in God right now?
Is someone else’s hostility turning you into a resentful, bitter, quarrelsome person?
Are you measuring God’s faithfulness according to your circumstances…or according to His presence?
My friend, pursue peace as you trust God’s promises, press on in God’s calling, and rest in God’s presence.