Isaac's Family is Blessed (Genesis 26)

"Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham."
-Genesis 26:3
     So I actually was not able to attend the Bible study yesterday, but I still wanted to write a few thoughts on the passage. Genesis 26 recounts the life of Isaac, and how God blesses him and his family greatly. There are a lot of similarities between Isaac and Abraham's life. Today's post is going to be shorter than usual, since I wasn't able to be at the academy.
     In this passage, God reaffirms the covenant He made with Abraham to Issac. God says that because Abraham obeyed God, Isaac will remain in God's blessing. This teaches me that we should not only be faithful to God for ourselves, but for the sake of others. Our actions can affect others whether we want them to or not. If we are faithful to God, it can inspire others to also be faithful to Him. Our service to God can bless someone who is in need.
     Later in the passage, Isaac lies about his relationship to his wife by saying she is his sister. Sound familiar? Abraham did the same thing when he was in Egypt. This shows a negative consequence of Abraham's actions. Although Isaac did not know about Abraham's life in Egypt, I believe that Abraham's weakness passed on to his son Isaac. Despite Isaac lying about his wife, God protects him and Rebekah the same way He protected Abraham and Sarah. God was faithful to His promise to Abraham and Isaac.
     God continues to bless Isaac with great possessions and wealth. In this passage I learn that God remains faithful to His promises. Even though Abraham is dead, it does not negate God's covenant with him. God blesses Isaac as a continuation of the covenant with Abraham. I also learn that we should remember that our actions have consequences not only for ourselves, but for others. How we live not only affects us but those around us, whether good or bad. We should strive to be faithful to God so that we can be a blessing to others, rather than a hindrance. May God bless us to continue to live faithfully for Him.
-Smart