18 Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they argued with him.

21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. 22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

Genesis 26:18-22 (NASB)

Non-combative approach

Yesterday we read about the problem with Abimelech and the people of the land who, out of fear, told him to leave. And Isaac obliged in order to avoid strife; he left Gerar for the valley nearby. Then he went and re-dug the wells Abraham had dug and there was no strife. He took a non-combative approach. “Isaac is a pacifist in the best sense of the word. Power is safe in his hands. He shows no inclination to abuse it.” (planobiblechapel.org)

More water issues

As he settled in the valley of Gerar, his servants dug more wells. The first one was actually flowing water, a real bonus, since you don’t need to haul it up out of the well. It was more like a spring. But the local shepherds came and said, “You may have dug the well but the water is ours.” Isaac again decided to not make a stink and moved on. He dug yet another well and they did the same thing. Again, he gave up his rights and moved on rather than fighting.

All is well

His perseverance pays off. Not only did he avoid conflict, through his patience and fortitude, God allowed him to finally find favor with the locals. They moved and dug a well that the locals did not contend with him over. Right away Isaac gave thanks to the Lord – recognizing His help finding a peaceful place to live. 

RЯeflection

• When we receive God’s blessing, are we quick to recognize and thank Him? Maybe there is something that happened recently to you that right now comes to mind. Be quick to thank and praise Him!
• I’m reminded of the words of Jesus to His disciples in John 7:38 AMP: “He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’” As I evaluate my life, I wonder where that water is. Do I really believe in Him? Do I adhere to, trust in and rely on Jesus…every day, every situation?