Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.

— Genesis 25:8

It’s not how fast we run the journey of life that counts, but how we run it. The object is to follow the Lord, who calls and leads us. The point is to live God’s way, trusting him with our destiny rather than charging ahead and doing life our own way.

God called Abraham on a journey of faith that took him many hundreds of miles and lasted throughout his many years. Abraham died at the age of 175 and was buried with his wife Sarah. Though Abraham hadn’t always acted faithfully on this journey, God was always his faithful guide. Abraham eventually learned that he could trust God with everything in his life. In faith, he grew to trust that he could always depend on God to keep his promises.

Many people come to the end of their life and look back with regret and remorse rather than fulfillment and joy. Abraham had his share of both. Ultimately, because of God, he could look back over his many years and be grateful, joyful, and satisfied. Abraham had become a believer in God. He had learned that God can be trusted fully. He had seen promises fulfilled and amazing deliverances. He had discovered that the real adventure of life is in following God’s call.

May we, too, run the race of faith as God calls us and, in the end, enjoy the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Lord, be our ever-true guide on this journey of faith. May we trust in you and find ways to share this faith with the people around us. Amen.