S) "15 'My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.' 16 Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard."
Genesis 23:15-16 (NASB)
O) This whole passage, starting back at v.4, seems like a case of who-can-be-the-nicest. Sarah had died, and Abraham was seeking a suitable burial place. He came to the sons of Heth, ready to buy her a grave. In v.6 and v.11, Ephron tries to give Abraham a plot of land for free, making v.15 his third attempt. Finally, Abraham basically ignores the offer, but hears the price, and determines to pay it. The exact reasons are not stated in this passage, but if we refer back to Genesis 14:22-24, we see a glimpse of why he may have refused again. Whatever the reason, though, we see an example of Abraham following his convictions thoroughly, without wavering.
A) People can have the best intentions, including myself. Hindsight is 20/20. There have been times, when looking back, that I can see where I clearly failed to follow through with my convictions about something. The intent of the people involved may not even be in question. In the example above, Abraham didn't argue or try to convince the people that he was right and they were wrong, he simply stuck to his convictions. Whether it's breaking a fast, or being patient as I wait on the LORD, whatever it is, I need to be faithful and obedient, thoroughly following my convictions. I don't have to argue or be rude, I just need to be unwavering.
P) Father, You are so good to Your servant, in the ways that You lead me, discipline me, teach me, and love me. Thank You for the mercy You have shown me when I fail to be obedient and faithful in my convictions. Thank You for the grace You have shown me when You convict me in the first place. Please continue to discipline me, to shape me into the obedient man You desire. I want to be used by You, as effectively as possible. I want to be unwavering in my integrity and devotion to Your will. I know there will always be evil temptations to sin, by compromising a point of conviction, but I also know that sometimes people have the best intentions at heart, even if their actions would subvert Your plan for me. In those moments, Lord, please guide me to remain peaceful to others while I am faithful to You. Give me wisdom to balance obedience to You with grace to them. Let Your will be done, and be glorified in my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment