"Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial."

Genesis 23:4

God had promised to give Abraham the land of Canaan, and so he left everything behind to go to that land. But during his lifetime, he was only a stranger and foreigner in the land that would one day be his. So when his wife died, he had to buy a place for her burial so that he could be sure her body would be undisturbed in the future. How ironic that a small field with a cave for burial is the only bit of the promised land Abraham fully possessed during his lifetime. Though living in light of God's promise, he experienced only a small part of its fulfillment.

Similarly, we have God's astounding promises: a new heaven and a new earth; no more tears, death, sorrow, or pain; living in God's obvious presence forever. Yet during our lives on this earth we experience only a bit of the promise through the Spirit. The new creation has come, but only in part, as we live our lives in light of God's grand and glorious promises.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How does hope for God's future impact your life? When have you enjoyed a foretaste of the future that is yet to come?

PRAYER:  Faithful God, thank you for your promises to us. We have so much to look forward to in you. And thank you for allowing us to possess a bit of the "promised land" today, even as we await what is yet to come. Thank you for the healing of bodies, hearts, and relationships. Thank you for the forgiveness you lavish upon us and for the experience of being forgiven by others. Thank you for the grace of coming to your table, where we celebrate your sacrificial love for us and are nurtured by your Spirit. Thank you for the community of your people where, however imperfectly, we begin to experience the life of the future. How good you are to us, Lord, not only in your promises, but also in giving us a foretaste of their fulfillment. All praise be to you, gracious God!  Amen.