Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Elderly: A Blessing For The Family
Genesis 24:1-14
              Steven Tom

St. James MTC, NY

 

1. Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 

 
How has the Lord blessed you in your life? Victoria Osteen says, “Let me encourage you to get up every day and focus on what you do have in life. Be thankful for the blessings of the little things, even when you don't get what you expect.” God has blessed each and every one of us in some way and it is our duty as Christians to give glory and thanks to God and the utmost obedience to his Word. But are we grateful for the blessings God has provided us with or do we continue to ask for more? Do we obey God and follow his commandments or do we ignore him and do things our own way?
In today’s passage, we are shown that if we fear and obey God and give all glory and thanks to him, he will reward us and shower his blessings upon us just as he did for Abraham. In that way, we can not only rejoice with God, but also be a blessing for others.
Abraham’s Life:
How many of us would give up something we truly loved if it was commanded by God? Abraham did. Abraham surrendered his life to God and did everything God asked of him. When asked to sacrifice his only son Isaac, whom he loved, as a burnt offering on the mountain, Abraham did not hesitate or question God, but fully obeyed God’s command. In return for Abraham’s fear and obedience, God promised him that he would become the “father of many nations” and that he and all his descendants would be numerous and be blessed. God guided Abraham in all of his decisions such as when God told Abraham to move to Canaan, and also in today’s passage where Abraham sought to have his chief servant find Isaac a wife. Abraham made his servant swear to find Isaac a wife in his country and not from Canaan. He forbade the servant to take Isaac back to his country if the woman was unwilling to come back with him because of God’s promise that Abraham’s offspring would rule over Canaan. This shows that Abraham had complete trust that God would fulfill his promise. God blessed Abraham by helping the chief servant to be successful in his mission and find a wife, Rebekah, for Isaac. Therefore, God blessed him and his descendants fruitfully in every way throughout his life all the way into his elderly years, making him a blessing to his entire family.

PRAYER

Father God, help us to put all our faith and trust in you. Please guide us and give us strength to obey your Word. Help us to be grateful for all the blessings you have showered upon us. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
 
“Be a blessing to others and you will be blessed.”

 

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