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Mario Barahona

As leaders, we aim to be in a place in our ministry that shows signs of success and blessing of God on our life and ministry.

Sometimes, consciously or unconsciously, we are aiming for prosperity, security and fruitfulness. All those are great things and are given to leaders by the blessing of God.

After the death of Abraham (Gen. 25), in Genesis 26 we find the transition of leadership between generations, with the focus on Isaac. Isaac needed to find his place in God’s plan; he needed to come to the decision of what would be the optimal place for his leadership and aim for it.

Through a series of events in Genesis 26, we see how God gave Isaac prosperity (vv. 12-14) and security (v. 11) and took him to a place of fruitfulness (v. 22). But we also see an Isaac who did not stay in any of those places, but continued to press on to an optimal place. As leaders, we must resist the temptation to stay in a good place and instead press on to the optimal place, where we lead with authority and power.

Isaac moved from the place of fruitfulness to Beersheba (v. 23), and the very first thing that we read is that the Lord appeared to Isaac to confirm the covenant of his father with him. Isaac responded by building an altar, worshiping the Lord and setting up his camp there (vv. 24-25).

Isaac made a choice to stay, not in the place of prosperity, security or fruitfulness (Rehoboth, v.22), but in the place of communion with God, Beersheba, which was the optimal place. This was where God made a covenant with him.

Isaac stayed in the place where he worshiped the Lord, and we immediately read two statements to which we should all aim as leaders in our lives:  “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you” (v. 28), and “You are now the blessed of the Lord” (v. 29). The optimal place of blessing is where we know that we are with Him and that we are involved in the same things in which He is involved.

Prayer Points

  • Father, let our hearts never cease to burn with desire to be with You. Let our days be filled with the endless pursuit of Your presence and guidance of Your Holy Spirit in our lives.
  • Father, help us to measure success in our lives by our level of obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Help us to have an ear to hear Your voice. Let us never be content with any good thing, but help us to pursue the optimal place, which is to be with You in worship.

Share your thoughts. See comments below, and add your own.

serves as the senior pastor of Angelus Temple Hispanic Foursquare Church in Los Angeles and as president of Angelus Bible Institute.
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