Demanding My Rights - With The World

January 13, 2008

Genesis 26*
17 So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

It seems in some instances, that demanding our rights is not always the wisest choice. Patience did pay off. Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, had just sent Isaac away because Isaac had grown strong. As Isaac moved along, everyplace he re-dug one of his father's wells, the Philistines would claim. From Abimelech's actions, we can gather that Isaac was strong enough to claim his right to any of these wells, but he moved on.
Not only did the Lord provide a place for Isaac to settle, but later on Abimelech comes to Isaac and when Isaac questions him, he gets this reply:

28 They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, 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.”

Isaac became a witness for the Lord through his patience and not demanding his rights.

There are times for us to stand up and there are times when we are to be patient; are you seeking a balance? Are you seen as an obnoxious Christian? Or do you take every opportunity to show the love of Christ instead of turning people off concerning the Lord?

*The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.