Like Father, Like Son, Take 1

So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

Genesis 26:6

When famine struck the land of Canaan in the time of Abraham, he took his household to Egypt. When, once again, a severe famine devastated the land, Isaac also took his family to a place where they might find food. But the Lord told Isaac not to go to Egypt. Rather, he was instructed to stay in Gerar, a city in the southern portion of Canaan. Along with this instruction, God gave to Isaac a promise similar to the one that had been given to his father. Isaac's descendants, who will be numerous, will one day possess the land. Like his father, Isaac obeyed the Lord and remained in Gerar.

Abraham seems to have been successful in passing on to his son Isaac a solid trust in God. Of course, by the time of this incident, Isaac's faith was his own. Yet his obedience to the Lord reminds us of his father's earlier faith expressed through obedience to God.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What role did your parents have in your own faith development? If you are a parent, are you passing on your faith to your children? How? Is this something about which you need to be more intentional?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I'm encouraged to see the faith of Isaac who, like his father before him, heard your word and obeyed.

This story reminds me to thank you for those who passed on their faith to me: my parents, my grandparents, my Sunday School teachers, my pastors. How grateful I am for them today!

Help me, gracious God, to pass on my faith to my own children. Help parents who often struggle with this crucial task. Give them confidence in you and the ability to speak of their faith honestly with their children. And help your church, Lord, to support and train parents in this high calling of our lives. Amen.