Harry Caray was rarely home on summer evenings, but he never missed his son’s bedtime. As Skip listened to his father’s St. Louis Cardinals baseball broadcasts, every night at 8:30, Harry would say, “Time out for a station identification. Good night, Skip. This is the Cardinal Baseball Network.” Skip became a well-known broadcaster, and his son, Chip, also became a successful sports broadcaster. Like father, like son, and like grandson!

Genesis 25–26 – Repeated Patterns

Like the Carays, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived similar lives and experienced similar trials. Isaac, for example, went through some of the same trials as his father, Abraham. He overcame some of these trials, and he failed in others. Genesis 26 records one of those failures.

Like Abraham, Isaac feared man. He feared for his life because Rebekah was beautiful, and he thought he could be killed because of her. Like his father, he lied by telling the Philistines she was his sister. Abraham had done the same thing! Abraham’s lie was a half-truth, but Isaac told a complete lie. There is no generation gap when it comes to sin! Often, what we do in moderation, our children may take a step further, as Isaac did. All of God’s people go through many tests that refine their character. We must endure trials without giving in to sin, for the glory of God.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete endure and overcome trials in sports and life so they can glorify God. First Peter 1:7 says, “so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”