| Life is tough. It's full of difficult decisions and circumstances that never seem to go away. In the midst of successful moments, there's fear of what's around the corner. In the midst of dark moments, there's fear that it may not get better. The beauty of our relationship with Christ is that He's bigger than our circumstances and He enables us to persevere whatever comes our way. We can praise Him in the good times just as we can at the center of the storm because He is in control. Perseverance is tough, but it makes the journey worth living. IN THE MIDST OF LIFE, LISTEN FOR GOD'S PLAN
[Genesis 26: 1-3, 6] "Do not go down to Egypt" (v.2). It's interesting that just as his father had responded to the famine, so would Isaac. His journey through Gerar was a stop along the route to Egypt. Why not Egypt? It seemed to serve Abraham and his family well, or did it? Wasn't it Egypt where Abraham lied about his wife being his sister? Wasn't it in Egypt where Abraham took a handmaiden and had a child illegitimately rather than trusting God to fulfill His promise? Egypt was not a place where God told Abraham to go, and He was now warning Isaac of the same place that caused his father so much trouble. Where is your Egypt? You know -- that place you know you shouldn't go but the allure of it draws you in. It could be a place from your past, a place that holds temptations that you don't need to face, or simply a place where something happened that you don't need to remember. Maybe you need to forgive someone of a deep hurt they caused you, or maybe you need to end a relationship you shouldn't be in.
Satan knows where our Egypts are, and he will do everything in his power to get us there. Take the advice that was given to Isaac thousands of years ago: Do not go to Egypt! So... *How do we find God's plan in a given situation? That should always be our goal, but it's not always that easy. What does Isaac's experience teach us about finding God's plan?a. God will speak in the midst of our movement (v.1).
Isaac had a serious problem and needed to find a solution. He didn't just sit around and wait for an answer from heaven; he moved to solve the problem. b. Past experiences will prepare us for a preferable future (vv.2-3).
As Isaac was moving toward Gerar on his way to Egypt, God spoke to him and revealed His plan for how He would solve the famine crisis. © LifeWay Christian Resources I really wanted to share this with anyone who took the time to read it! It's just part of an awesome study that my college group at church went through tonight, and very pointedly encouraged me right after I asked yet again for confidence in following Him. I hope you read... it's worth it, if you care. :) | 
