Read Genesis 26:17-22

“The Lord Has Made Room For Us”

No one likes to be mistreated. Sometimes, however, it is better to pick up and move on rather than stand your ground and fight over trivial matters. Isaac’s servants dug a well in the valley over which a dispute arose; the herdsmen of Gerar claimed ownership of that well. Rather than go to war over it, Isaac’s servants dug another well. The same thing happened. A third time, the servants dug a well, but this time there was no dispute. God took care of His servant; Isaac named the well Rehoboth and said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land” (Genesis 26:22).

The first two disputes may have happened because that is not where God wanted Isaac. God, through providence, uses the situations of this life to put people where He can use them in His service. Queen Esther rose to a position of power, perhaps so she could exert some influence over her husband on behalf of her people. In the first century, when Onesimus left his master Philemon and came to Paul, the apostle pointed to the possibility of providence at work. “For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord” (Philemon 15-16).

We do not always see the providence of God while it is happening. Isaac may have really struggled with the quarrels over the wells. He may have felt discouraged or perhaps angry. But he had faith in the Lord to take care of him, just as He took care of him on Mount Moriah when he was bound and laid on the altar. Isaac believed in God’s provision and in God’s providence, and instead of fighting over material possessions, he picked up and moved on until he was where God wanted him to be.

It hurts when we are mistreated, but we must remember that the Lord can use even our pain to further His cause, though we may not understand it fully at the time. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who loved God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). If you love God and are a part of His family in Christ, He will take care of you; He will make room for you, and you can be fruitful.