Agains. We’re repeaters. We’re habitual, routine people. Life repeaters. We were created to be orderly. We do the same things over and over, again. We (please, say I’m not alone) make the same mistakes, over and over, again. We are creatures of habit, some good, some not so good. Life for us is full of agains. Do-overs. The sun shines every day, again. The moon rises every night, again. And lately for us, the clouds roll, AGAIN! The rain falls, AGAIN! The streams rise, AGAIN! Our basements flood, AGAIN! We’ve had a lot of those agains this summer, haven’t we?
The Word of God is full of agains, of over and overs, of repetitions, repeats, reminders and one more times. The word “again” is used over 1,500 times in the Bible. Right off the top of my head several examples come to mind. God rescued Israel, again and again. God sent the plagues upon Egypt, again and again. The prophets spoke the Word of God, again and again. Despite who we are, what we are, or what we’ve done, God loves us, again and again. God speaks to us, again and again, doesn’t He?
More agains. Remember Isaac’s well story? The Lord told Isaac to go where he was told. Isaac would be a stranger in the land, but the Lord God would be with him and bless him. Isaac obeyed. The Lord guided Isaac to Gerar, the land of the Philistines, and that is where he settled. Isaac’s crops and flocks were very successful. The Philistines were intimidated by Isaac’s success and their King, Abimelech, told Isaac to skedaddle. Since the Philistines had capped off all the wells, Isaac left Gerar proper and moved to the Gerar Valley and set up camp.
The wells dug by Father Abraham, that the Philistines had filled in after his death, were reopened. Because of Isaac’s success as a herdsman, water was needed. The Gerar Valley was actually located on the edge of a desert. That tells you how precious water was.
His shepherds also dug in the Gerar Valley and found a gushing spring. But then the local shepherds came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well “Argument,” because they had argued about it with him. Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a fight over it. So Isaac named it “Opposition.” Abandoning that one, he dug another well, and the local people finally left him alone. So Isaac called it “Room Enough,” for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be able to thrive.” Genesis 26:20-22.
I love this story – Argument. Opposition. Room Enough. Third times a charm! Isaac didn’t give up, he persevered. Again, and again, and again. Over, and over, and over. There’s a lesson for us here. If at first you don’t succeed…
Brother Peter talks about agains a good bit too:
I plan to keep reminding you of these things – even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth. Yes, I believe I should keep on reminding you of these things as long as I live. But the Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that my days here on earth are numbered and I am soon to die. So I will work hard to make these things clear to you. I want you to remember them long after I’m gone. 2 Peter 1:12-14
Peter of all people knew about agains. Remember, before the cock crows? Again. Again. Again. In the above scripture, Peter spoke as his time on this earth was drawing to a close. He felt it necessary to remind. Remind. Repeat. Say it again.
God of All knows about agains, he reveals his character to us through them. He resisted Satan, again and again. He preached, again and again. He fed, again and again. He healed, again and again. He loves, again and again. He was rejected, again and again. He forgives, again and again. I don’t know about you, but that is something I want to hear, again and again.