Have you ever been around one of those people that just had a presence everyone is drawn to.  People want to be around them and do things for them.  I have noticed that often this occurs in people that show love the way God calls us to love.  Abraham clearly has this type of presence because throughout his life people do things above and beyond the normal for him.  Let’s look at one such account which occurs when Sarah dies and Abraham seeks to bury her. 

Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. 3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, 4 “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.” 5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.” 7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.” 10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 11 “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

In that culture land was the utmost commodity.  No one wanted to be buried on foreign land but on their own land.  There were even instances where some would gouge prices to sell to others for them to bury their dead.  Instead because of who Abraham is people want to give him valuable land.  That’s the effect God’s love has on the world.  When we love others the way God calls us to people are down to that.  It gives us a platform to share more about God and the love that He freely offers.  Today make it a point to love others the way God calls us to love and see what opportunities He gives you to point people to Him.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave