Open Spaces

Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in that year he reaped a hundred times what was sown. The Lord blessed him, and the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy. He had flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were envious of him. The Philistines stopped up all the wells that his father's slaves had dug in the days of his father Abraham, filling them with dirt. And Abimelech said to Isaac, "leave us, you are much too powerful for us." So Isaac left there, and camped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there. Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham had died. He gave them the same names his father had given them. Then Isaac's slaves dug in the valley and found a well of spring water there. But the herdsman of Gerar quarrelled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, "the water is ours!" So he named the well Quarrel because they quarrelled with him. Then they dug another well and quarrelled over that one also, so he named it Hostility. He moved from there and dug another and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Open Spaces and said, " For now The Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land. " Genesis 26:12-22

With blessing there is friction. Friction comes from those who are envious and want something themselves and because they don't have it themselves they fight with you for it. Isaac knew the key to peace. He knew God's blessing was on him and refused to walk in the heart of those who envied him, he would not quarrel about water, he would dig another and another well.

Friction in relationships can be avoided, if we stand firm in what God has for us and not go to aggravation and fighting. The wells had to be found and dug up. There was always the unknown, will there be another source of water, will  God provide? We can see that he did; again and again.

A well where there is hostility is no well of blessing, it is better to move on and find peace. This is what Isaac did and finally he found 'Open Spaces'. Peace is in the open space. Amen!

I remember a good friend once said to me, "Di let peace be your governor." Good advice!

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