So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre —both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city.
Genesis 23:17-18 (NIV)
LORD, You are faithful regarding Your promises. If You say it, it shall come to pass. Often I am too caught up in all of the adjoining “distractions” and personal drama to see what You are doing. My mind is so caught up in the moment that I don’t put the pieces together to see the bigger picture. Like Abraham, in mourning for the loss of his beloved Sarah and needing someplace to bury her, I can get so engrossed in what is going on, so intimately and personally involved in the happenings, that I miss that it is all for a purpose, and that the results are the beginnings of You fulfilling Your promises to me. Just as that field was the first piece of land that Abraham owned in the land You promised to him, so too most of the time there are glimmers of “little” fulfillments of Your promises that I must lay hold of. And often they come in the midst of loss and sacrifice.
Thank You for being a God Who keeps His promises. Thank You for the little seeds of fulfillment that You send my way, fueling my faith and hope. Thank You for reminding me that in the midst of loss there is always promise, that the pain will only last for a season. Through my Savior You have shown me the death is the gateway to Your promises. And by Him You have demonstrated that You love me so much, with a boundless love, that never fails. Thank You.
Today, as I navigate through joy and pain, loss and gain, I will continue to look for You in the midst, remembering what You have promised me, and looking for Your fingerprints in all that transpires around me. I love You, Father. I love You Jesus. I love You Holy Spirit. Thank You for loving me. Amen.