Life in Retrospect
Genesis 24:1
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
Frankly, for me to look back over my life thus far and summarize it with the statement, “The LORD has blessed me in all things,” I’d either need a supreme optimism that I haven’t got, or I’d need a perfected understanding that I’m also lacking. See, it’s one thing to believe that God is working all things together for good, but it’s another thing to perceive how He’s doing it, right? I wonder how Abraham sees his life at this moment. As he straddles the line between earth and heaven, I wonder which blessings he’d recount if asked. Maybe he’d smile and speak of fulfilled promises, of one-on-one divine interactions, of favor from pagan kings, of his beautiful wife and two sons, and of Lot’s rescue. But what if we asked him about his banishment of Ishmael or Sarah’s bitterness toward Hagar or his lifelong separation from family members? I think that smile would fade into a look of pained bewilderment.
Christian, take comfort from this Genesis 24:1 epitaph today. The Author of your life sees all the little blessings you can’t, and you’ll read them in His eyes one day.