Daily Devotional | Standing on the Promises

When a couple gets married, they vow to love, honor, and be faithful to one another “until death do us part.” How well they keep those promises has a defining effect on their relationship. If those promises are broken, their relationship suffers.

Genesis 26 opens with the line “there was a famine in the land” (v. 1). Famines were common in ancient Canaan, but that did not make them any less horrific. Hunger drove people to uproot their lives to seek food. In this part of the world, most people would survive by heading to Egypt. Because of the annual flooding of the Nile River, Egypt was not dependent on rain for their crops and was often insulated from famine.

Isaac traveled to Gerar seeking food. He was perhaps heading to Egypt, since Gerar was on the way. Here, the Lord appeared and warned him, “Do not go down to Egypt” (v. 2). Isaac was not to rely on his own ability or on the wisdom of the world to survive this famine but only on God. This is the first time in the Bible where God tells someone, “I will be with you” (v. 3). God affirmed the promise He made to Abraham, to multiply Isaac’s descendants and give them the land of Canaan (vv. 3–4). God called Isaac to believe in and trust His promise, just as his father had (v. 5).

God has promised to be with His children today (Matt. 28:20). He has promised that, if we have faith in what Jesus has done for us, we can be forgiven and have eternal life with Him (John 3:16).

Go Deeper

What might have made Isaac doubt God’s promise? What makes us doubt that God will provide? What would it look like for you to believe that God is faithful and will keep you until the end (1 Cor. 1:8)?

Pray with Us: Lord God, You’ve been faithful to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You taught them to rely on You and not on their abilities or the wisdom of the world. We thank You that in the same way You teach and guide Your people today.

BY Ryan Cook

Dr. Ryan Cook has taught at Moody Bible Institute since 2012. He earned his bachelor of arts in Bible and Theology from Moody and his master of arts in Old Testament from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He has worked in Christian education and served as a pastor in Michigan for seven years. During his time as a professor at Moody, he earned his doctorate from Asbury Theological Seminary. He now lives with his wife, Ashley, and their three children in the Chicagoland area.