Genesis Teaches Providence: Reminder

Genesis 26:1-33

PRESENCE

PRESENCE

Genesis 26:1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former

famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar

to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 And the LORD

appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to

you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will

establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.

PRESENCE

4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands.

And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham

obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my

statutes, and my laws.”

PRESENCE

Genesis 26:11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever

touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” 12 And Isaac sowed in that land and

reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed

him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he

became very wealthy.

PRESENCE

“We should not think of God as being spatially near or remote, for He is not here or there but carries here and there in His heart. Space

is not infinite, as some have thought; only God is infinite and in His infinitude He swallows up all space…He fills heaven and earth

as the ocean fills the bucket that is submerged in it, and as the ocean surrounds the bucket so does God the universe He fills. ‘The heaven of heavens cannot contain thee.’

God is not contained. He contains.” A.W.Tozer

PRESENCE

PROVIDENCE

PROVIDENCE

Genesis 26:28 They said, “We see plainly that the LORD has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn

pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant

with you,

PROVIDENCE

PRACTICE

PRACTICE

Genesis 26:5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and

my laws.”

PRACTICE

Genesis 26:23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD

appeared to 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 offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he

built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there

Isaac’s servants dug a well.

PRACTICE

“Were I a preacher, I should above all other things preach the

practice of the presence of God; and were I a director, I should advise all the world to do it, so necessary do I think it, and so

easy, too. Ah! knew we but the want we have of the grace and assistance of God, we should

never lose sight of Him—no, not for a moment.

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than

that of a continual conversation with God.

PRACTICE

The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are

at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon

my knees at the Blessed Sacrament.

[When I fail to do this, which is often] I simply say, ‘Lord, I cannot do this unless Thou enablest me; I

shall never do otherwise if You leave me to myself, ‘tis You must hinder my failing.’ [And I have] no

further uneasiness about it.

PRACTICE

But when we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy presence,

and set Him always before us, this not only hinders our offending

Him, and doing anything that may displease Him, at least wilfully, but

it also begets in us a holy freedom.” 

Brother Lawrence

PRACTICE

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to

present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to

God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and

acceptable and perfect.

PRACTICE