Lesson learned this morning...

Have you ever felt like something unfair has happened to you and the thought of it just consumes you? This is especially difficult when it has to do with your finances since that messes with the way that you provide for your family.
In this economy, it's not hard to find stories of people that have lost jobs, had pay cuts or have just not been dealt with fairly. My family has certainly been no different. From experience, I can tell you that it's very easy to get consumed by the problem and let bitterness and resentment become the ruler of your life instead of trusting God that He is still in control.

I'm trying to learn a new discipline this year and am using this resource for my daily devotional each day - http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/oneyearbible/ Today's lesson in the one year bible was on this subject.

I'm not a scholar on daily life in biblical times, but a water well HAD to have been a pretty important provision for a man's family. To have it continuously stolen (not sure how you steal a water well) could have caused Isaac to have MANY reactions, but I wonder how Isaac's wife reacted to this situation. The bible rarely mentions the reaction of the wife in the stories (unless they do something really stupid or really tremendous). Since Rebekah is mentioned favorably several times in the bible, I'm sure she handled this with grace and beauty...two things I don't always exhibit. As I think about all the ways I might have handled this situation (and have handled similar situations), I'm embarrassed. Just because I'm a non-confrontational person who wouldn't hurt a flea doesn't mean I wouldn't have stirred up a sandstorm of discontent in the camp over this issue!! I probably would have made Isaac want to go sleep with the camels because of all the griping and carrying on I would have done. I can hear it now, "Why don't you just man up and go over there and tell them that is OUR well! Now you are going to have to spend another ENTIRE day digging a well that you've already dug THREE TIMES! I had other things planned for tomorrow and now you've messed up all my plans!"
WOW! I wouldn't have made it easy at all for Isaac to be a godly man, would I? Rebekah must have truly been a saint (except for that whole Jacob and Esau -birthright for a bowl of soup business).
This whole hypothetical conversation makes me wonder how many financial blessings that my family has missed out on because of my attitude of distrust and discontent? Ugh! Lots of toes being stepped on this morning.

Dear Lord forgive me for not trusting in you. Forgive me for not supporting my spouse in the decisions that he makes for our family and for not seeing that he is following you when he lets things go and "digs another well."



Today's commentary from the One Year Bible devotional....
Isaac was a man whose life demonstrated the blessing of God. He was undoubtedly a tithing believer and a successful farmer, as were his father Abraham and son Jacob. Genesis 26:12 tells us, "That year Isaac's crops were tremendous! He harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him." While others were perishing in the famine, Isaac sowed in the land and reaped a hundredfold return.

It was Isaac's attitude, however, that brought the blessing of God. When he had dug a "gushing spring" (Genesis 26:19), the shepherds of Gerar came and stole it from him. Instead of quarreling, he moved on and "dug another well" (v. 21). When that new well was stolen, "he dug another well" (v. 22). Finally his well was not stolen, and the Lord said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you" (v. 24).

Attitudes of bitterness, anger, resentment, and strife will keep you from financial blessing. Dig another well, keep your heart right, and God will pour out even more blessings than before!