Is this a 'Year of Recession' with God?

This is the talk of the town, as people go in search of 'greener pastures'.
Can God come through, when the market is down ... especially, if we are relying on the market value for our sustenance?

As we enter into another year, churches have a way of bringing focus, by prophetically speaking out a promise for the year.
Accordingly, we were set-forth a challenge from Genesis 26:12 - "Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him".
With the recession, market-crash, pink slip & lay-offs and big bosses deceiving the innocent share-holders - everything is happening ... to show the famine in the land or in the world at large.

Could this be the year of 100 fold returns, as Isaac reaped?

Let's analyze and see what happened here:
Read Genesis chp.26

vs.1 - there was a famine in the land & Isaac goes to the place where famine will hit last - the king's palace!
- Is it right to go in search of greener pastures?

vs.2 - Certainly the Lord didn't like that option, as He appears to Isaac to re-affirm the promise, with an urge to STAY PUT in the land (vs.3).

vs.8 - Isaac stayed in obedience to God's Word for a long time.
We don't know for sure as to how long this period was!!

In the meantime, similar to his dad, we see Isaac lied about his wife, that she was his sister, for fear of life (vs.7).
- What was the need to lie, when God asked you to stay put?

It works out that Abimelech, when he finds out that Rebekah was indeed his wife (vs.8-10), he gave orders to all his people, that no one should touch or molest both Isaac and Rebekah (vs.11).

It was then that Isaac planted crops in that land and reaped a 100 fold in the same year (vs.12).
- Was the seed planted in the year of famine?
Well, we don't know how long the famine lasted - 1 year or 2 years or more ... but the fact, the Philistines envied Isaac (vs.14), is evident that the famine was far from over!


So, what gave Isaac the confidence to sow in the time of famine?
I believe there are 2 factors here:

1) vs.2-5 - God's Word and his re-affirmation of the promise
2) vs.11 - an assurance from King Abimelech

It seems the assurance from the Lord wasn't enough for Isaac to invest and sow in the land; but only when the king gave the assurance did he venture out.

Let's take a look at the 2 assurances:
a) vs.3 from God
* I will be with you, &
* I will bless you
b) vs.11 from the King
* don't touch them / don't molest them

After a while, the outworking of the assurances begins to happen:
vs.13,14 - He became rich and continued to grow. Perhaps into subsequent years too and not just that year. The Word says, BECAUSE THE LORD BLESSED HIM - God was faithful to His promise (vs.12)

On the contrary, the Philistines didn't touch him (as per the assurance), but OPPOSED HIM (vs.15) and TRIED to stop the blessing.

4 oppositions came from the Philistines inspite of the assurance from the King, on whose word Isaac stepped out:
a) Blocked wells out of envy (vs.14,15)
b) The King himself came and asked him to move (vs.16)
c) Herdsmen quarreled because of freshwater (vs.20)
d) Herdsmen quarreled again because of freshwater (vs.21)


As the Lord continued to be faithful to His Word, it took a while for others to see that! When King Abimelech realized that, he makes haste to return to Isaac to make a treaty.
vs.28 - he says, "we saw clearly that the Lord was with you...".

Now, the Lord was not in person walking with Isaac - so, how did the King and others see the LORD CLEARLY?
- Could it be the outworking of the blessing, which Isaac was walking in, in the midst of the famine?
- Could it be his moral conduct, which proved he was a different man, who didn't choose to grab, when the country was at its worst?

How many of us, can say things like that about our life?

In most films and heroic stories, we see the hero is always the last person to get off danger ... even when there is a limited time left and he could escape unscathed. He always plays the waiting game, by rescuing the rest and eventually makes to safety.

Jesus claimed in John 8:29 - "The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do the what pleases him".

Can we make such statements?
Is He with us? Do we do what pleases Him?

When He is with us, no harm shall befall us ... famine will ravage the country, but we are safe in His hands and under His shelter.
Be blessed!