Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well. Genesis 26:25
They say good fences make good neighbors, but a while back that came into dispute in one neighborhood. An old survey mistake led an entire row of houses to build their fences and garages about two feet over the property line. Setting things right required legal mitigation and the destruction of a lot of those fences that were supposed to have brought peace.
Given how uncompromising homeowners can be about their lot line, it is amazing to me how far out of his way Isaac goes to accommodate the Philistines in Genesis Chapter 26. By my count, in addition to reopening all the wells they keep filling with dirt, Isaac and his men dig five wells by the end of this chapter. Each time he finds water, someone comes along and claims water rights over it, so he moves on and digs another.
Isaac’s interactions with the Philistines prove to be a valuable example of diplomacy – and provision. Once Isaac finally digs an uncontested well, he says in verse 22, “At last the Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”
God’s blessing is evident every time he finds water, and Isaac trusts that will continue to be the case. So instead of fighting for his rights, he keeps moving on until the Philistinian king finds it undeniable that God is with him and offers a treaty that secures peace for Isaac.
In this situation, Isaac trusted God’s favor. You can too. The gift of faith you received in another essential interaction with water, your baptism, is God’s assurance that you are safe in Christ, regardless of what happens with your water rights, your lot line, or any other resource the world has to offer or withhold from you.
Questions for reflection:
- How does it feel when someone intrudes on you? How do you usually respond?
- In what circumstance do and don’t you trust God to provide?
- Can you identify situations where you are spending more energy standing your ground than it might take to back off and “dig a new well,” trusting God to handle things for you?