Keep Digging

Brother Tyrone Mac brought a message that was so superpowered by the Spirit that I doubt I will be able to give it justice. He drew his key idea from Genesis 26. Here we find one of the brief narratives about Isaac that are found in scripture. There is a famine in the land, and Isaac is faced with the choice of abandoning the land promised to Abram (Abraham) and going into Egypt or remaining. It is interesting to note that while far more coverage of the lives of Abraham and Jacob are given in the Bible than to Isaac, that these relative giants of the faith bail-out on the promise when they face famines. Isaac intends on doing the same, but God stops him and he relents and remains in the promised land. But to make the situation worse, in this time of shortage, the Philistines assail him as well.

He remains in the land in a time of famine. He plants himself near the wells dug by Abraham, and he prospers (despite the famine). In fact, verse 12 states that “. . . Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold.” This brought even a greater persecution from the enemies of God’s people. The Philistines fill the wells with earth out of jealousy. But what does Isaac do? He has them re-dug. He builds on his father’s foundations and digs where he knows there is water.

Scripture often refers to Jesus and the Holy Spirit as waters. And those in fellowship with the Living Water, that is Jesus, themselves flow with life-giving. Issac does just that. But the enemy, Abimelech in historical terms, and Satan in the spiritual does not relent. Isaac responds by digging again. He finds new sources of life-giving water (and spiritual life). These too are assailed by the Philistine, but as a man of God (who is empowered by the all-powerful Lord) he digs yet again, and the enemy gives up on the pursuit.

We are image bearers of God, and we with Christ in our hearts flow with such waters. We are not immune to the attacks of the evil one, but we are victorious when we keep digging! The waters of salvation are there for us, we just need to uncover them.

Isaac the one once for sacrifice intended

By faith persevered and his father’s wells mended

He did not surrender to a persistent foe

But just kept digging till the waters did flow

We too as people by the Lord chosen

Need to take up our shovels putting our faith into motion

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Padre