Genesis 21:30-34: a reflection

30He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well.” 31Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because they both swore an oath there. 32So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. 34Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days.

After making a covenant at Beersheba, Abraham plants a tamarisk tree and calls on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God, worshiping and taking his stand on God's eternity even while he lives as a foreigner in a land not his own. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God; and Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days. Abraham had no settled homeland here; he lived as a sojourner, a foreigner, without a land of his own. Yet he calls on God by a great name: the Everlasting God, the God who does not change or pass away. Amid an unsettled, sojourning life, Abraham anchors himself in the Everlasting God. This shows worshiping and anchoring ourselves in the Everlasting God amid an unsettled, sojourning life. Anchor yourself in the Everlasting God amid an unsettled life. Though you sojourn without a settled home, God is everlasting and unchanging. Call on the Everlasting God as your anchor. The God who does not pass away is the stability of a sojourning life.

Notice how Abraham worships and where he takes his stand. He lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines, a sojourner without a settled homeland of his own, his life unsettled and provisional. Yet at Beersheba he calls on the name of the LORD by a great title: the Everlasting God, the God who is eternal, unchanging, who does not pass away. In the midst of a sojourning, unsettled life, Abraham anchors himself not in a settled place or possession, which he did not have, but in the Everlasting God, who is stable when everything else is provisional. This holds a comfort for us in our own unsettled lives. Much of our life can feel provisional and unsettled: we too, in a sense, are sojourners, without a lasting home here, our circumstances shifting and passing. But we can do as Abraham did: anchor ourselves not in the shifting, provisional things around us, but in the Everlasting God, who does not change or pass away, who is our stable ground amid an unsettled life. When our circumstances are provisional and shifting, the Everlasting God remains, and we can call on him and take our stand in him. We do well to anchor ourselves in the Everlasting God amid our unsettled, sojourning lives, calling on the God who does not pass away. Anchor yourself in the Everlasting God amid your unsettled life. When your circumstances are provisional and shifting, the Everlasting God remains. Call on the God who does not change or pass away as your stable ground. Take your stand not in shifting things but in the Everlasting God.

That is worth resting in, for we can anchor ourselves in the Everlasting God amid an unsettled, sojourning life, calling on the God who does not pass away, as Abraham called on the Everlasting God while living as a foreigner. Our lives can feel provisional and unsettled, without a lasting home here; but Abraham, a sojourner without a settled land, anchored himself in the Everlasting God. Anchor yourself in him. When your circumstances feel provisional and shifting, do not anchor yourself in them; take your stand in the Everlasting God, who remains when all else passes. Anchor yourself in the Everlasting God amid your unsettled, sojourning life, calling on the God who does not change or pass away as your stable ground, as after making a covenant at Beersheba Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God, worshiping and taking his stand on God's eternity even while he lived as a foreigner in a land not his own; for Abraham had no settled homeland there but lived as a sojourner without a land of his own, yet called on God by a great name, the Everlasting God who does not change or pass away, anchoring himself amid an unsettled life in the Everlasting God, which holds a comfort for us in our own unsettled lives, since much of our life can feel provisional and unsettled and we too are in a sense sojourners without a lasting home here, our circumstances shifting and passing, but we can do as Abraham did and anchor ourselves not in the shifting, provisional things around us but in the Everlasting God who does not change or pass away and who is our stable ground amid an unsettled life, so that when our circumstances are provisional and shifting the Everlasting God remains and we can call on him and take our stand in him, and we do well to anchor ourselves in the Everlasting God amid our unsettled, sojourning lives.

Lord, after making a covenant at Beersheba, Abraham plants a tamarisk tree and calls on your name, the Everlasting God, worshiping and taking his stand on your eternity even while he lives as a foreigner in a land not his own. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God; and Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days. Abraham had no settled homeland there; he lived as a sojourner, a foreigner, without a land of his own. Yet he calls on you by a great name: the Everlasting God, the God who does not change or pass away. Amid an unsettled, sojourning life, Abraham anchors himself in you, the Everlasting God. Show me how Abraham worships and where he takes his stand. He lived as a foreigner, a sojourner without a settled homeland, his life unsettled and provisional. Yet at Beersheba he calls on you by a great title: the Everlasting God, who is eternal, unchanging, who does not pass away. In the midst of a sojourning life, he anchors himself not in a settled place or possession, which he did not have, but in you, who are stable when everything else is provisional. This holds a comfort for me in my own unsettled life. Much of my life can feel provisional and unsettled: I too am, in a sense, a sojourner, without a lasting home here, my circumstances shifting and passing. But I can do as Abraham did: anchor myself not in the shifting things around me, but in you, the Everlasting God, who does not change or pass away. Take that to my heart. When my circumstances feel provisional and shifting, keep me from anchoring myself in them; help me take my stand in you, Lord, the Everlasting God, calling on the God who does not pass away as my stable ground amid an unsettled, sojourning life, for you remain when all else passes.