Isaac's Success Key II

Friday 7 August
READ: Gen. 26:12
MORE LESSON: Ruth 1:1-5

Yesterday, we emphasized that investing in productive ventures is a major secret of prosperity. It is not impossible that some persons may have tried investing in one venture or the other and there was nothing to show for it. For such persons, just asking them to invest may never appeal to them. They may want to know one or two more secrets of Isaac’s success and why they have failed. The following points from today’s Scripture passage contributed largely to Isaac’s success.

1) Isaac received word from the LORD about the place he invested in. God specifically instructed Isaac to stay in Gerar and promised to bless him. (vs 2 and 3). There was famine in the land of Canaan, occasioned by drought. The right thing for a herdsman to do was to migrate to where there could be water for his animal, and Egypt where you have the delta of the River Nile was the nearest. While Isaac was contemplating going over to Egypt, he sought God's face. God then instructed him to stay in Gerar and promised to bless him. Isaac did not only hear God, he obeyed and terminated his match toward Egypt. Some people plunge themselves into businesses without seeking the face of God on where to start it. They base their judgement (their feasibility studies) largely on certain permutations and combinations induced by human wisdom. As promising as that may be, you still need to seek the LORD's face and hear from him.

(2) Isaac took his time to settle in Gerar before he began to invest. Though how long it took him was not stated in the passage, there was obviously a period of time between when he began to sow and when he received a hundred fold increase. What transpired within this period? Isaac subdued the powers of the land and put them under his control. The highest authority in the land put a restraining order that anyone who touches him or his family shall die (vs 11). At that point, no power in the land could stop him, then Isaac sowed in the land and prospered (v12).

Some people have invested hug resources in a land they have not subdued spiritually and others entered territories they had not subdued on their knees to start ministry. Therefore, they have very little to show for their labour because the negative forces in the land will not let them prosper. Your venture in that location is not thriving not because the location is not the best for it but because there are forces which a higher authority must put under check on your behalf. The Philistines would have killed Isaac if the King had not put a restraining order on him. Arise in prayer and fasting! Also go to your Church Pastor or any other genuine spiritual father in the land. A word of prayer from that leader may be all you need. Like Isaac, begin the investment, continue and, become very prosperous, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, please speak to me as I wait upon You for instruction over what to invest in.
* I renounce every human permutation that makes me rush into ventures without hearing from You.
* Lord, put a restraining order over the forces of my land that I may prosper abundantly therein.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the name of Jesus, what belongs to me will reach me this month and I shall celebrate.