LIVING PEACEFULLY

Isaac lived amongst the Philistines, who turned out to be bad-tempered neighbours. He had grown so rich and powerful that they felt intimidated by him and asked him to leave their lands. Being “too powerful” for them (GENESIS 26:16), Isaac could have said “No” and done whatever he wanted. But he agreed to move into a nearby valley where his father Abraham had dug some wells years before.

The Philistines had stopped up the wells after Abraham died. Each time Isaac reopened a well they took it for themselves, even though they had not been using it. They were just being sneaky and bad-tempered. But Isaac kept moving on until he found a place where the Philistines were happy to leave him alone.

I’ve met people like that. When my brothers and I played catch as kids, we had to be very careful about our throws, because our next-door neighbour would keep any balls that went into his garden.

It’s difficult to like those kind of people, but Jesus went so far as to say that we must love them, pray for them and be good to them (MATTHEW 5:44). It may not be easy, and those argumentative people may not change. Yet, according to Romans 12:18, we must still do all we can to live peacefully with everyone.

Thinking it over . . .

Dear God, please help me to do my best to live at peace with everyone, even when other people seem like they are out to get me. Give me the patience to follow Isaac’s example and move on when others are looking to just wind me up.