God's Big Picture: Genesis 26

We, as Christians, are called to live a life marked by trusting n God’s provision and sovereignty

Isaac didn’t trust God

Implications of a life marked by self-preservation

Implications of a life marked by trusting God’s provision and sovereignty

Isaac didn’t trust God

There was a famine just like in Genesis 12

God told Isaac that he would provide for and protect Isaac

Isaac didn’t trust God’s protection

Isaac’s lack of trust brought consequences

Implications of a life marked by self-preservation

What do I mean by self-preservation? Self-preservation is trying to make it through your life on your own. Maybe because you’ve been let down by someone, like a parent, a relative, or a friend, and now you think that you can’t rely on anyone for anything. Maybe because you think that you’re the only one who knows what you’re going through so you have to pull yourself up and bear this burden on your own. Maybe it’s because you’ve seen it “work” in someone else’s life so you’re just trying to emulate them.

But here’s the thing, no matter how much you try to make it work yourself you’re constantly going to end up in the same place. And here’s the end result…

Doubt

If you claim Christianity, your pursuit of self-preservation is going to cause you to doubt God’s goodness, faithfulness, and existence.

If you don’t claim Christianity, your pursuit of self-preservation is going to cause you to doubt yourself again and again and again.

Self-esteem issues

First, pride. Self-preservation often leads to pride, because you’ve been making it work so you begin to think that you can always do it on your own. But Proverbs 16:18 makes it clear that pride goes before the fall.

Second, self-loathing. If you don’t end up being prideful you’ll end up in self-loathing. This is because you keep trying to make things work by yourself and when they fail you think that you are a failure.

Selfishness

Self-preservation so often leads to selfishness because when we get something, that we think was gained by our own effort and might, then our nature is to hoard those things. I made it, I did it, I was better than everyone else so why would I give anything to someone else?

Anxiety

All of these things are going to lead down the dark road of anxiety. Our self-reliance causes us to think about all the ways that we may fail

When my dad was int he FBI he had to work a case where a young woman had gone onto a cliff in Chattanooga and jumped off, killing herself. In my dad’s investigation he found a box full of receipts and notes. These notes were tracking all of her finances down to the last cent. Her constant self-preservation had lead to so much anxiety in her financial state that she saw no other way out other than killing herself.

But there is a way out. It’s in recognizing that we are not built to carry that burden. We are not made to be self-reliant. We are not made to be self-preserving. We are made to be God-reliant. We are made to trust in God’s provision and sovereignty.

Implications of a life marked by trusting God’s provision and sovereignty

Confidence - Hebrews 11:1

This confidence is not worldly confidence. Just because you trust in God’s provision and sovereignty doesn’t mean that you’ll immediately be able to talk to girls, sorry guys I can’t help you with that, trust me.

This confidence, as the author of Hebrews says, is in things hoped for, things not yet seen. We are confident that God can provide for us, that he will protect us, and that he will be faithful to keep his promises because he always has! Look back through the Scriptures and you will see that God always keeps his promises, always provides, and is in complete control at all times. So be confident, not in your own might, but in God’s provision and sovereignty.

Assurance - Romans 8:31-39

As a Christian we have complete assurance that our salvation, gained by grace alone through faith alone, in Christ alone, will always be kept by God. Paul had that assurance and clearly told us in Romans that there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love. No matter what life circumstance you may be in, there is nothing that can separate you from God’s love.

Generosity - Luke 12:16-21

When we trust in God’s provision and sovereignty we begin to recognize that these things that we have are not our, they are God’s. And God has called us to love him first and to love our neighbor second. So love God with your possessions by saying these aren’t mine, they’re God’s. Love you neighbor by taking what God has provided you with and serve them.

The rich man in this parable trusted in his own self-preservation and God judged him for it. Don’t be the rich man from the parable, be like Christ, giving up everything to see others come to know Christ.

Peace - Romans 5:1

Finally, a life marked by trusting in the provision and sovereignty of God leads to peace. After the fall in Genesis 3 humanity has had a God shaped hole in their hearts that we’ve tried filling with everything under the sun, but nothing can fill it. When we try to fill our life by our own self-preservation we get anxiety, but when, by faith, we fill our hearts with God we get peace.

Conclusion

Do you want to be blessed in this life? do you want to have confidence in God? Do you want to have assurance in his promises and your salvation? Do you want to have true care for others? Do you want to have peace? Then surrender to the God who provides and who is sovereign over all. As we sing Come Thou Fount remember that all these blessing only come from trusting in God.