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Dear Heavenly Father, Praise I praise you today as the God who is with me through all the seasons of life. You said, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isa 46:4 NIV). You carried Abraham through all of his 175 years, and I know you will carry me as well. Today in Your Word Today you told me about the death of Sarah, the marriage of Isaac, the birth of Esau and Jacob, and the death of Abraham. After Sarah died, Abraham bought a burial place for her from the Hittites. Even though you had promised the land to Abraham, he did not demand it of Ephron or take it by force. Instead, he paid for it with a large quantity of silver. This showed his willingness to wait on your timing for the fulfillment of your promise. When it was time for Isaac to marry, Abraham sent his servant to find a wife from his relatives. His insistence that Isaac should remain in the promised land and not marry one of the locals reveals his faith in your word. He believed that you would one day destroy the Canaanites, and he did not want his son to become entangled with them. You showed yourself faithful to Abraham’s servant and helped him find Rebekah, a wife that comforted Isaac after his mother’s death. Isaac and Rebekah struggled with infertility, just like Abraham and Sarah. But rather than taking matters into their own hands, Isaac prayed to you, and you enabled Rebekah to conceive twins. You told her that two nations were in her womb, and that the older would serve the younger. Paul later cited this as evidence of the fact that your promise was to the Israel of faith, not ethnic Israel (cf. Rom 9:6–13). Abraham died at the ripe old age of 175! He is an inspiring example of a man who lived by faith and died in faith (Heb 11:13–16). Reflection Abraham’s servant did not ask for a miraculous sign to help him find Isaac’s bride. Instead, he requested a sign that tested Rebekah’s kindness, hospitality, and affinity for hard work. Request Father, help me, like Abraham, to live as a stranger and an exile on this earth. Keep my heart focused on my heavenly homeland. May you never be ashamed to be called my God. Thanksgiving I say with Abraham’s servant, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth” (Gen 24:27 NASB). Thank you for your faithfulness to me! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Hymn: “Hinder Me Not” by John Ryland. Meditation Verse: Genesis 25:8.