Enduring The Process by Jessie Garcia

King Solomon stated, “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” (Prov. 9:17 KJV). It almost sounds tempting when you think about it. When you break this statement down and analyze it, it can become quite confusing. If stolen waters are sweet, does that meant water that was bought is not sweet? Is eating bread in public not pleasant?

I have heard countless times people making the statement, “It is not going to last because they didn’t work for it” meaning, if someone was given a gift, they will not treasure it as much as if they had worked for it. It sounds reasonable. Many of us can say that we have seen this with our children as they were growing up. We would buy our young children toys and clothing, but many times the toys were lost, and the clothes were ruined. Often, we as parents question ourselves for buying those things in the first place. How many occasions does a child throw a tantrum at the store because he wanted a toy? Trying not to cause a scene, the parent buys the toy. The child plays with the toy for a short period and within the next day or two, the toy is added to the collection of unused toys.

As we read about the patriarchs of the Bible, these men have always stood out: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. There are 13 chapters dedicated to Abraham, 4 chapters dedicated to Isaac, 9 chapters to Jacob, and 13 chapters to chapters to Joseph. Why didn’t Isaac’s story appear as often or in as much depth as the rest of the patriarchs? Was Isaac not interesting? Did he not have much to contribute?

As you study the lives of the patriarchs, you notice that Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all had a direct encounter with God and saw how God became a powerful figure in their lives through the trials and hardships they endured. Isaac’s story was not the same. He encountered God’s power at a young age. He witnessed firsthand God’s love and grace upon his life as his father was going to offer him as a sacrifice to God. God had stopped Abraham and provided the right sacrifice at the precise moment showing Isaac just how alive God’s presence was in his life. Though Isaac witnessed God’s power throughout his lifetime, nothing surpassed the encounter he had with God during the sacrifice.

Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph had to find their faith in God as they had left their home. Abraham was asked to leave his home, Jacob fled, and Joseph was sold and taken away. They encountered hardships: Sarai was taken by Pharaoh, Jacob was forced to work for 14 years, and Joseph was thrown into prison. Isaac had a brief moment when Rebecca was taken from him, but God quickly intervened.

Was King Solomon writing just about the difference between wisdom and foolishness? Was he showing us the difference between being grateful and ungrateful? Or was God trying to speak to us about the values of working hard?

One thing I have learned over the years is those things that were given to me, although I treasured them, never brought the same satisfaction as those things I worked hard for. We read that sin is bad, therefore, we should not partake in sinful acts. Yet, it seems a contradiction that eating stolen waters is sweet and bread eaten in secret is almost encouraging to do. So, we must understand where God is trying to take us. God will never encourage us to sin or to do hurtful things. God, through the wisdom of King Solomon, is making it known to us that though stolen bread and water may be sweet and pleasant, it will never be fulfilling. That sweetness may continue to bring out the cravings to continue to steal or to do those things that are harmful to us or others.

I am often reminded by the pain and the aches my body feels when I come home after a long, hard day’s work. The only thing on my mind is taking a shower, eating, and going to sleep. The food that is eaten after a long day of work is just as sweet and pleasant with the difference being, it is fulfilling and enough to give me what I need. I have no further need to continue eating; I am satisfied.

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With over 20 years of ministerial service, I am a dedicated servant of God. My passion is to live and work for God and bring others into an intimate relationship with God. I understand that this life comes with many challenges and many have stumbled along the way. I am committed to helping those get back up and continue their journey towards a successful walk with God. God’s Kingdom will advance with strong men and women building strong families.