Genesis 25:7-8
New King James Version (NKJV)
7 This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
When I turned 60, people began asking me when I would retire. As time went by, the question morphed into “Why haven’t you retired yet?” Had this question been asked by my colleagues, I would have taken it as a sign that it was high time I retired, and taken the hint, but it wasn’t. In fact, when I turned in my request in December 2012 to retire in July 2013, my colleague Vernon acted very surprised. He is within a very few months of being my age. “I planned to retire before you,” he exclaimed.
At many points in my life, including the decision to retire, I wished for a direct statement from the Lord telling me which way to decide. I would think back on Abraham’s experience. The Lord directed him to leave Ur. Later he was directed to leave Haran for an undisclosed destination. He was told that Ishmael was not his son of promise but to expect a child by Sarah. Eventually he was instructed to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Then at the very time of slaying his son, he was restrained and given a ram in his place.
Once in my lifetime I feel I received direct communication from God. He had led us to devote our lives to working in Africa. When it came time for us to return to the U.S., it took direct communication to get us to actually accept that decision. I tell that story elsewhere and have not as yet posted it to the blog.
As I came back again and again to my question as to why God could speak so often to Abraham and only once to me, I finally did the math. God spoke to Abraham only about 4 times. He lived 175 years. That means that on the average, God spoke to Abraham about once every 44 years. So I should expect my next direct communication sometime before I reach the age of 88. Besides that, I have something Abraham didn’t have! I have the written Bible, God’s word that I can read for instructions. So I am not discriminated against! I am indeed favored.
Thank You, Lord, for speaking to me in many ways. I’m just sorry that, on occasion, You have to hit me on the side of my head with a two-by-four in order to get me to do Your will!
Love this post. I want to know if God spoke to you audibly or internally.
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