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God bound Himself with a covenant to His people, the Israelites, as a sign of His graciousness and mercy so that He could freely relate with them and sign them up for His
blessings.

However, God's covenant with His people is promissory and obligatory (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

In Deuteronomy 28:1, Moses stated the condition for receiving the all-round blessings God promised in the preceding verses: "If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth."

We must take note of the two important verbs in this verse: obey and follow. They both
emphasise hearing the word of God and acting on it.

Isaac's experience in Gerar is crucial in this year's theme. Besides the famine of

Abraham's day, there was famine in the land. This seems to be a 'hereditary

problem' that can force people to make the wrong decision.

However, God appeared unto Isaac, signifying a relationship between God and Isaac.

Despite the famine, God told Isaac to stay in the land of Gerar and not go to Egypt,

and he obeyed. It was there that God blessed Isaac exponentially and made him

great.

We also may be going through a season of famine in our lives (i.e. poverty,

barrenness, sinful habit, spiritual decline, unemployment, bad luck, stagnation,

etc.). We must take a cue from Isaac by refusing to take a precipitous decision with

long-lasting effect, based merely on the temporary famine of this moment without

seeking guidance from God. God desires to bless us, and He's committed to His

promises: “And all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee if thou shalt

hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God” (Deuteronomy 28:2). Irrespective of our

standing/position in the blessings of God, He still wants to bless us more and more

with generational blessings.

However, we must be weary of stagnation, unfruitfulness, and other vices that are

not making us progress in our relationship with God. A great man of God once said,

"The oppressor's strength is in the oppressed’s silence." Until you get tired of your

situations, your situations will not get tired of you. We must know when to tell the

devil, "Enough is enough!" We must say no to his manipulation.

In addition, Isaac's story teaches us what all-around blessings look like (the

picture), the reasons for all-around blessings (purpose), and the principles for

sustaining all-around blessings.

Wisdom from the past, Inspiring the future: Panel Session

( May 29, 2024)

Are you prepared and available for God’s use?

Do you know if you are the one to solve the problem of our time?

Have you encountered God?

CHILDREN'S WEEK - BIBLE STUDY - PREPARED FOR THE LORD'S USE - MAY 22, 2024

It requires hard work to gracefully grow together devotedly at home since all marital relationships pass through trying periods to varying degrees. (Hosea 2:19-20; Romans 15:1-2; Genesis 16:1-4; 18:1-2, cf. 11:28)

Such trying periods are best managed or overcome with sacrificial love, which is the acid test of the love relationships between an individual and God, as well as among family members. (Genesis 22:2-3; 17:1-2)

Sacrificial love is the only thing that works for the people of the Kingdom when everything else has failed to work well. (1 John 4:10)

In this message, we shall look into the issues involved in sacrificial love among family members; an ingredient that is vital to pleasing God, and gracefully growing together devotedly at home. (2 Peter 3:18)