In Genesis 26:28-29, Isaac's rivals in the valley come to him (to his surprise, having had several disagreements recently), with olive branch in hand:
"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, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord."
They were fudging a little, but the essence was on fleek. Isaac agrees, they all celebrate, and the next DAY, his new friends got God's blessing themselves, striking water in the desert on their next well.
Similarly, in Genesis 21:22-24, Abimelech made a similar oath with Isaac's father Abraham:
"God is WITH you in all that you do. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendents or my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned." And Abraham said, "I will swear."
And again, while there might have been some slight fudging, this relationship immediately benefited him.
God's Lesson is Clear:
LIVE SO THAT GOD SHINES THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, AND PEOPLE WILL BE DRAWN TO YOU, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, DRAWN TO THE GOD WITHIN YOU!!
It reminds me of the story of the six-year old girl questioning her parents about what she'd learned in Sunday School.
"God is really, really BIG, isn't He?"
Ah, yes, dear, He is.
"And we each have God inside us, don't we?"
Um....that's true, we do.
She thought for a moment.
"Then, He's have to show through, wouldn't He?"
Yes, dear. At least, if you're doing this Christianity thing right, He does.
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