Genesis 26:1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac (Abraham’s son) went to Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines. 2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; settle in the land that I shall show you. 3 Reside in this land as an alien, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and will give to your offspring all these lands; and all the nations of the earth shall gain blessing for themselves through your offspring, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “My wife,” thinking, “or else the men of the place might kill me for the sake of Rebekah, because she is attractive in appearance.”

Like father like son, right? In chapter 20 Abraham lied To King Abimelech of Gerar about Sarah, saying she was his sister and not his wife. Now Abraham’s son Isaac does the same thing to Abimelech – and again Abimelech is hoodwinked. Wow.

In v.3 God says to Isaac, “Reside in the land as an alien and I will be with you, and will bless you…” Isaac showed enough faith to do as God directed. He went to Gerar instead of Egypt, but in Gerar fear got the better of him, prompting him to lie about Sarah. Like most people I know, Isaac had days of great faith and days of little faith. He was up and down. Hot and cold.

I’m no different. I know in my spirit that I can trust the Lord and put things in His hands rather than mine, but I still get anxious. I worry. I wonder if God will come through… this time. How many times does the Lord have to demonstrate his faithfulness before I experience complete confidence in him? I’m not sure that will happen this side of heaven. But I continue to pray for it nonetheless. I echo the words of Mark 9:24

“I believe; help my unbelief”. Amen.