TO SUCCEED IN THE NEW YEAR III
Genesis 26:1-5; 12-25
Today, we are going practical with the life of Isaac. In the first few verses, we see Isaac receiving instructions from the Lord. God spoke to him. Stay in the land, don’t go down to Egypt. He obeyed. He stayed. There was famine in the land, yet he stayed. It did not look like what the Lord promised to his father and now him. He still stayed. He followed the first two principles we considered. He heard from the Lord and he did what the Lord instructed. Hearing and doing are the first steps. We also believe that the promises ignited something in Isaac. God told him “sojourn in this land and I will be with thee; and will bless thee: for unto thee; and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries. . . Gen. 26:3
That promise gave him a vision to run with. He saw himself being prosperous in line with God’s promises. He caught a vision of greatness in the land when famine was prevalent. Read verse 12-14 again to discover the third principle of having a great year. It is called the principle of Diligence. Isaac did not just hear the Lord, he caught a vision. He did not just catch a vision, he went to work! Until you work at them, dreams will remain in the realm of dreams. A vision not worked at will soon become blurred and over time migrate to become a nightmare.
Precious child of God, you must work. Whatever you are aiming at this year won’t come on the platter of mere wishing. No! It will come when you work at it. Are you a student? You must work at your studies. Are you a career person, you must work. The top is not for lazy people. It is for the diligent. For you to leave the company of mean men and wine and dine with royalty, you must work hard! Proverbs 22:9 Whether in business, politics, academics or whatever, the road to the top is hard work. You must work. Diligence does not kill. It only strengthens you. This year, apply the principle of diligence into all that you do. With diligence, your visions and dreams shall become reality. Over time, Isaac became a force to be reckoned with in the land. It did not come by merely wishing. He laboured. He sowed in the land. He dug wells. And dug more wells. Until he reached Rehoboth and moved on to Bathsheba. Go and do likewise.
MEDITATION: Proverbs 10:4
