God Has Promised Me Blessings! So Why Do I Have SO Many Challenges!

Isaac walked in the foot steps of his Father Abraham.  He had many things and when he planted his crop he received 100 fold in return.  God blessed him so much that the Philistines grew jealous and afraid of him, they asked  him to leave their land and go elsewhere.  Isaac had the blessing of the LORD, but the Bible says it rains on both the righteous and the unrighteous.  He had a lot, but he didn't have it all.

Genesis 26
1And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

First in the height of his life there came a great famine in the land.  Of all the ROTTEN luck.  Isn't that a lot of what we are facing today?  We have the blessings of God, but there is this economic decline in our country.  This decline sometimes makes it difficult.  Sometimes we factor in the economic decline into our business plans...a famine or economic decline is a terrible thing to have happen, oh the frustration of it, but what did Isaac do?  He planted anyway!  Did he let that hold him back?  No.  He kept moving forward.  He planted his crops in the middle of that famine and God blessed it!

Genesis 26
12Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

Your blessings in God may not include AVOIDING the famines, but it does include prospering IN SPITE of  the famines.

Genesis 26 

13And the man became great, and advanced, and grew until he became very great:

14For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and a great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

15For all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

No doubt the blessings of the LORD where with him, but, he still had many challenges and sorrows.  DON'T MISTAKE THE PROSPERITY OF GOD FOR THE EASY LIFE!!!

Jesus said that anyone that gave up everything for his sake would receive it all back 100 fold not only in Heaven but also in this life ALONG WITH PERSECUTIONS!  (mark 10:28)  Yes. Isaac had so much blessing coming from God, but that doesn't mean it was without struggle and challenges.  

Then all though he had done nothing wrong the men of that area asked him to LEAVE.  It hurts when a friend stabs you in the back, deletes you on facebook, or quits answering the phone.  Here they are telling Isaac to leave the area. 

16And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for you are much mightier than we.

17And Isaac departed from there, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

WITH GREAT BLESSINGS COME EVEN GREATER CHALLENGES!   Hey, look at it this way we have only got half way through the chapter and Isaac's blessings and challenges have only begun!

Next he left them and went back to the land where Abraham had dwelt and he redug the wells of his Father.  Every well he dug the inhabitants of the land wanted to CLAIM it!  He had to dig three times.  Put yourself in this situation.  You went from famine, and people getting jealous, his friends sending him away, finding  his Father's well, and then the people of the land contested them.  Now that is some tough things to go through.  Yet God says to him afterwards

Genesis 26

24And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham your father: fear not, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your descendants for my servant Abraham's sake.

Has God said something to YOU?  Has he given you a promise.  He will fulfill it but that does not mean that it will come without struggle or without challenge.  Jesus said, to he overcomes I will give the crown of life!  

He did receive the blessings of God and much wealth, favor and prosperity but at the end of the chapter Isaac and Rebecca's life take a turn

Genesis 26

34And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

35Who were a source of grief unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

Their son marries two girls from the Hittites that became a source of grief for them.  Many people know this kind of trouble. How could this happen to someone that had the blessings and favor of God?   We make a mistake when we think that the promises and blessings of God will keep us from any kind of challenge, grief or trouble.  Isaac was going to go through many trials in life, just like we all do with or without God's blessing.  Thank God he had God's blessing to bring  him through!