Isaac's experience in Gerar is crucial in this year's theme. Besides the famine of

Abraham's day, there was famine in the land. This seems to be a 'hereditary

problem' that can force people to make the wrong decision.

However, God appeared unto Isaac, signifying a relationship between God and Isaac.

Despite the famine, God told Isaac to stay in the land of Gerar and not go to Egypt,

and he obeyed. It was there that God blessed Isaac exponentially and made him

great.

We also may be going through a season of famine in our lives (i.e. poverty,

barrenness, sinful habit, spiritual decline, unemployment, bad luck, stagnation,

etc.). We must take a cue from Isaac by refusing to take a precipitous decision with

long-lasting effect, based merely on the temporary famine of this moment without

seeking guidance from God. God desires to bless us, and He's committed to His

promises: “And all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee if thou shalt

hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God” (Deuteronomy 28:2). Irrespective of our

standing/position in the blessings of God, He still wants to bless us more and more

with generational blessings.

However, we must be weary of stagnation, unfruitfulness, and other vices that are

not making us progress in our relationship with God. A great man of God once said,

"The oppressor's strength is in the oppressed’s silence." Until you get tired of your

situations, your situations will not get tired of you. We must know when to tell the

devil, "Enough is enough!" We must say no to his manipulation.

In addition, Isaac's story teaches us what all-around blessings look like (the

picture), the reasons for all-around blessings (purpose), and the principles for

sustaining all-around blessings.