Issac was the son of Abraham and Father of Jacob. He was Rebecca’s husband and father to Jacob and Esau. But a brief look at the life of Isaac, the son of Abraham and father of Jacob, will show that such people are just as critical to God’s plan as those who are marking a new trail for others. Isaac’s greatest claim to fame was simply that he was the son of Abraham and Sarah, the child that was promised by the Lord to carry on Abraham’s name and make him into a great nation. As a young man, Isaac was nearly sacrificed by his father in a test of obedience, but at the last second the Lord stopped Abraham and showed him a ram to sacrifice instead. Later Abraham acquired a wife for Isaac from Haran, the land of his ancestors, and Isaac and Rebekah gave birth to the twins Esau and Jacob. Much of Isaac’s adult life consisted simply of maintaining and bolstering the abundance handed down to him by his father. He continued to look after his extensive herds of livestock, and he repeatedly reopened wells that his father had dug that had been stopped up by jealous neighbors. In his later years, Isaac bestowed his blessing on his sons and unwittingly granted the greater blessing of birthright to the younger son, Jacob, who had deceived him into thinking he was the older son. It is often tempting to think that we are nothing if we are not making waves. But the simple faithfulness of Isaac makes it clear that some of us are simply called to be devoted followers and faithful managers of the things handed down by others. Make a point to appreciate the role such people play, whether that be your role or the role of others around you.