“There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you…” Genesis 26.1-3

Because of the famine and extreme difficulties, Isaac’s intention was to seek for his livelihood in Egypt, since it was the richest and more fertile place on the Earth at that time due to the Nile River, which means ease.

Isaac asked permission of the king Abimelech to stay in Gerar for some time, because he was convinced he would find a solution in Egypt. But God said to him: “Dwell in this land!”

Even though that command was, apparently, unreasonable, there is only one safe and prosperous place, and it is called “THE WILL OF GOD”.

He obeyed and sowed among his enemies and in that same year, he reaped a hundredfold. Something, that humanly speaking, is impossible, but when the seed of obedience is sowed, its fruits are surprising and abundant.

Sometimes search for better conditions to sow the Word of God – like radio, TV, newspaper, somewhere less violent or with less poverty – thinking that the evangelistic work will flourish there. However, if we will analyze Isaac’s example, we will see that he sowed where misery, violence and injustice had place – so much so that he feared being killed by the men of that place because of his wife’s beauty, he even told them she was his sister.

Is that not an example we must follow? To sow God’s Word in the land of the enemies? After all, it is the place where devil is acting more using injustice, violence, rape, addictions, persecutions, misery, etc.

That does not mean that the good seed must not be sowed among the rich, because the devil is also at work among them. However, where do the people that are more dedicated, converted, born of the Holy Spirit and that surrender themselves to God with sincerity most often come from? Without any doubt, from the places that are considered as the scum of society; normally, where social services, education, health and safety, or even basic sanitation do not exist.

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” 1 Corinthians 1.27-28

If those who claim to be servants of God would be more worried about sowing the good seed in the land of the enemy, the devil wouldn’t be sowing chaff among the wheat, and we wouldn’t have so much jealousy, gossip, envy, discord, bad eyes and carnality in the church.

“…Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season…” 2 Timothy 4.2

With the help of Bishop Alfredo Paulo