[NIV] 1 Abraham was now very old, and
the LORD had blessed him in every way. - P82
2 He said to the senior servant in his
household, the one in charge of all that
he had, "Put your hand undermy thigh. - P82
5 The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with
me to this land? Shall I then take your son
back to the country you came from?" - P82
6 "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said. - P83
8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from
this oath of mine. Onlydo not take my son back there." - P83
Abraham is getting old but has received
much favor from God. He now wants to
make sure that his son Isaac finds a wife
but not among the Canaanites,
who worship false gods. - P84
He, therefore, tasks his servant
with going back to his country and finding a bride for Isaac among
Abraham‘s relatives. - P84
As believers in Christ, every decision we make must be shaped by our commitment
to the Lord. - P84
God cares deeply about
who we marry, where we work, and how we raise our children,
but it is easy to be swayed by worldly
values when faced with these choices. - P84
Let us make God‘s glory and His kingdom
our highest priority in our decision-making, so that we and our families can
experience the blessingof living in His will. - P84
Abraham‘s servant is concerned that the
woman he finds for Isaac might be unwilling to return with him to Canaan. - P84
Abraham reassures his servant
that God will work things out in their favor. The servant then puts his hand under
Abraham‘s thigh as a pledge of his loyalty and commitment to accomplish the task
assigned to him. Just like this servant,
- P84
Just like this servant,
we might have fears and uncertainties
about the mission our Lord has given us.
But Jesus promised that He will be with us everywhere we goas we work to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. - P84
Trusting in this promise,
let us give Him our loyalty and
commitment and look forwardto the
victory that He has secured for us. - P84
Father, thank you for choosing me to belong to You and giving me a role
in Your kingdom. - P85
I pray that I will do the work You have given me with diligence and faithfulnessso that You may be glorified in my life. In Jesus‘ name, amen. - P85
12 Then he prayed, "LORD, God of my master Abra-ham, make me successful today, and show kindness tomy master Abraham. - P86
13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daugh-ters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. - P86
14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, Pleaselet down your jar that I may have a drink,‘ and she says,
Drink, and I‘ll water your camels too let her be theone you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this Iwill know that you have shown kindness to my master. - P86
21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closelyto learn whether or not the LORD had made his journeysuccessful. - P88
26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped theLORD,
- P89
27 saying, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my masterAbraham, who has not abandoned his kindness andfaithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has ledme on the journey to the house of my master‘s
relatives."
- P89
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