When there was a famine in Gerar, the Lord appeared to Isaac in and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, dwell in this land and I will be with you and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands.” (Gen 26:1-3). Isaac in spite of the famine in Gerar obeyed God and dwelled there. Every day looking out of his window Isaac would have seen the trees, plants, and herbs die right before his own eyes. He would have seen many inhabitants of Gerar pack their goods and flee to Egypt. It is impossible to survive a famine, and the normal course that people take is to move over to a fertile land where they could find food and water. Since Isaac was told by God not to go to Egypt, he held onto his faith and God’s promise - even though he saw the parched land with all the vegetation dead and the place totally untenanted.

His faith exceeded what he saw with his eyes, heard with his ears, and thought with his mind to stay put in Gerar. He never gave room to fear - which enters an individual through the eye, ear, and mind gate.

When God asked him to sow in the parched land where there was no water, he obeyed God and reaped in that same year one hundred fold! The author in Hebrews 11 gives a litany of faith heroes in the Old Testament who failed to receive what they were promised and even died with their faith-switch on!

Thought for the Day: Be it a fight, fright, or flight keep away fear to keep your faith-switch on!