When you go to bed each night, are you satisfied with your day? If you were to die today, would you be satisfied with your life? If not, would you like to be? Do you know how to become satisfied?
Genesis tells us that Abraham was satisfied with life. Let’s take a look at the end of his life and see what we can learn about being satisfied with our own lives. Notice the word “satisfied” in the following verses.
Gen. 25:1 ¶ Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.
Gen. 25:2 She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah.
Gen. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim.
Gen. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.
Gen. 25:5 Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac;
Gen. 25:6 but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.
Gen. 25:7 ¶ These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years.
Gen. 25:8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.
Gen. 25:9 Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre,
Gen. 25:10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife.
Gen. 25:11 It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.
Why was Abraham satisfied with life?
- Was it because he was wealthy?
- Was it because he had children?
- Was it because he was righteous?
- Was it because he chose to be satisfied no matter whatever happened in life?
The Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us why Abraham was satisfied, but it does tell us how we can be satisfied. Consider this verse from Proverbs.
Prov. 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life,
So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.
Satisfaction starts with the fear of Yahweh. Notice how the fear of Yahweh was exhibited in Abraham’s life.
Gen. 15:6 Then Abraham believed in the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Gen. 17:23 ¶ Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, as God had said to him.
Gen. 22:11-12 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
Abraham feared God and obeyed God no matter the cost. When Abraham died, he was satisfied with life. For us, satisfaction with life begins with the fear of God and being willing to obey Him no matter the cost.
Further Reading
How do we know if we truly fear God?
Do you ever wonder where life went wrong?
Are you hopeful about your life?
Would you like to be notified when new posts are published?
If yes, please choose one or more of the following.
“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.”