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Telling God's whole truth

Genesis 26:6-11

BY CAROLYN ANDERSON

We should all be able to relate easily to Isaac in the book of Genesis. He listened just enough to what God said about blessings to cause him to stay in Gerar, rather than go to Egypt. But he didn't listen enough to learn that whatever was promised would come about because of God, and not anything that he himself did.
 
It is strange that Isaac stayed to get the blessing and abundance that he wasn't really sure would come to him.

Even though he had God's word that he and his descendants would be the recipients, because of doubt and fear he was unable to claim who he was, so he kept it a secret. Perhaps in his mind he was denying the truth a little.

Maybe we will have a little sympathy for Isaac whenever we think back to those times we did not acknowledge a 'relationship' that should have been a sign of our Christian integrity, rather we just chose to keep silent with the truth on the tip of our tongues. 

Imagine: we turn the corner and run into someone who does not look quite right nor do they smell too good and they ask us for directions to the nearest church. Suddenly, we develop amnesia. We don't know the way to church and we forget our connection to the church as well.

Anytime God's people do not claim that which identifies us; we are not just avoiding the truth, we are denying ourselves.
 
So it was with Isaac. God's word was evidently just not enough. Isaac tried to take out some 'insurance' by not telling the truth about his wife rather than rely on the assurance that God would do what God said. 

Obviously Isaac felt he had to do something to take charge of the situation in order to be certain that he would not miss out on anything that was coming his way so he just kept the truth to himself. 

I imagine he was thinking that if he did not look out for his own well-being then who would?  And the truth probably would have remained buried deep within him if the king had not questioned him. Isaac was probably burdened with a lot of doubt and fear if he felt he had to deny his own self in order to be safe.

It reminds me of those times in church meetings when we choose to act like we know nothing about how or why a decision was reversed, even though we were present at the unofficial meeting in the parking lot.

Our specific example might be different, but we can all see some of our own story unfolding as we look at what Isaac is doing. 

There are times when who we are as disciples of Jesus Christ is completely hidden from others and not likely to surface unless we are challenged.
 
Out of fear of being rejected, too much timidity or just not wanting to be 'out of the loop,' we too can be tempted to behave or speak as though we are not who we say we are.
Sooner or later, however, we realize we simply must speak and behave like who we really are as believers. Sometimes we just have to tell God we are sorry we have said or done something that was not pleasing. 

Our confession can really open us up to our blessings. We should never forget that when God makes a promise to his children, God will keep his word.

God still continues to renew the covenant as a sign of his faithfulness, therefore we can count on reaping the harvest even though we may be undeserving. 

Carolyn Anderson is a deaconess and member of Emory UMC in Washington, D.C.