February 27 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Abraham was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran (Gen. 12:4). He walked with the Lord for one hundred years. Then he was buried in the cave of Machpelah.

Every funeral is a test of our faith. What we see argues against what we believe. We see the rule of death, while we confess the reign of Christ. Yet it is the surprising testimony of many Christians that their faith was strengthened when they buried their loved ones. Most of us grow faster in faith at a funeral than at a wedding. Maybe one of the reasons is that when we are compelled to surrender what we love, we fall into the arms of God.

Abraham's funeral was a peculiar test of faith. God had promised him the land of Canaan. When he had lived in Canaan for a hundred years, he left some heaps of stones called altars. The only piece of real estate to which he held title was a graveyard for his wife and himself.

The urge to possess some real estate appears to be strong in all human beings—at least the ones we know. The fun and pride of ownership may well be among the nicest joys God gives people. But we must not overrate the importance of our temporary ownership of a house or some land.

What is "real" estate, anyway? People say it's something you can lay your hands on, set your feet on, get a price for, or dig a grave in.

What is "real"? What Abraham saw with tear-filled eyes. The promise and presence of God is the only reality you can hold on to, even when you come to the end of the road.

REFLECTIONS

How do we know if we're too attached to the "real estate" we own?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.