Isaac
The Forgotten Middle
How many of you are the oldest child? The youngest? The middle? We often tease about birth order—the responsible firstborn, the free-spirited baby, and the “forgotten” middle child. The one who doesn’t get as much attention, who quietly holds things together while everyone else gets the spotlight.
But maybe that’s a good metaphor for faith. Because most of us don’t live in the dramatic highs or lows of life. We live somewhere in the middle—between mountaintop moments and everyday routines. Between the miracle and the fulfillment.
And that’s where we find Isaac.
The Quiet Patriarch
When we think of the great patriarchs, we often think of Abraham, the father of faith, or Jacob, who wrestled with God and became Israel. But in between them stands Isaac, whose story occupies just a few short chapters in Genesis (Genesis 25–28). He’s not known for great adventures or dramatic encounters with God. In fact, most of what we know about Isaac happens quietly—almost in the background.
Yet, when God revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush, He didn’t just say, “I am the God of Abraham and Jacob.” He said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6).
That inclusion matters. It tells us that God is not only present in the extraordinary faith of Abraham or the wrestling faith of Jacob, but also in the steady, day-by-day faith of Isaac—the quiet middle.
Laughter Born of Promise
Isaac’s story begins long before his birth, with a promise. Abraham and Sarah were far beyond childbearing years when God promised them a son. Hope seemed absurd. But God kept His word.
“Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him” (Genesis 21:2).
They named him Isaac, which means laughter. It was laughter born not of disbelief anymore, but of joy—joy in a God who does the impossible. Isaac’s very existence is a testimony to God’s faithfulness, a reminder that His promises are not bound by human timelines.
Maybe you’re in a season of waiting right now. Maybe you’ve prayed and hoped and still can’t see how God’s promise will come to pass. Isaac’s story whispers to you: Don’t give up. God’s timing is not ours, but His word never fails.
Faith in the Ordinary
After his miraculous birth, Isaac’s life seems almost uneventful compared to the adventures of his father or the drama of his sons. He digs wells, tends livestock, raises a family, and makes peace with neighbors.
It’s not glamorous, but it’s faithful.
Genesis 26:18 says, “Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham… and he gave them the same names his father had given them.”
Isaac wasn’t chasing new fame or fresh excitement—he was faithfully continuing what had been entrusted to him. And in doing so, he also dug new wells, leaving his own mark for the next generation.
So much of discipleship looks like that—quietly reopening old wells of faith, prayer, and worship, and digging new ones for those who come after us.
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
Eugene Peterson once described discipleship as “a long obedience in the same direction.” That’s Isaac’s story in a nutshell.
He doesn’t have a burning bush moment. He doesn’t part any seas or climb any mountains. But he walks with God. Slowly. Faithfully. Day after day.
When God appears to him, He says, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (Genesis 26:24). That’s the quiet assurance Isaac carries through his life—and it’s the same assurance we need in ours.
God of the Middle
Most of us won’t live Abraham-sized stories or have Jacob-like encounters. But we all have opportunities to live Isaac-like faith—trusting God in the ordinary, staying faithful in the unseen, believing that our quiet obedience matters.
Isaac reminds us that God’s story doesn’t just move forward through the bold and the brave. It moves through the patient, the steady, the faithful.
Maybe today you feel like the “forgotten middle child” in your faith—stuck between promise and fulfillment, waiting for something to happen. Take heart: God is still the God of Isaac. He’s the God of the middle. He’s at work in your waiting, your routines, and your ordinary obedience.
A Challenge for Us
Isaac’s life calls us to:
- Trust God’s timing. His promises may take longer than we expect, but they always arrive right on time.
- Surrender in faith. Like Isaac on the mountain, we can trust that God will provide even when we don’t understand how.
- Embrace the ordinary. God’s covenant often continues through quiet, unseen faithfulness.
- Pass the promise on. Like Isaac, we’re called to hand down the faith to the next generation.
Even when life feels ordinary, God is doing something extraordinary through your faithfulness. The same God who brought laughter from barrenness, who provided a ram on the mountain, and who blessed a life of quiet obedience—that same God is with you.
So keep walking. Keep digging. Keep trusting.
Because the God of Isaac—the God of the middle—is still faithful today.