READ: GENESIS 21:22-34; ISAIAH 40:28

In the book of Genesis, the author uses several different names for God. One of those names is the “Eternal God.” And the context in which this name is first used may appear strange. Abraham calls upon the Eternal God...after he plants a tree!

There are a few essential things to notice about this passage. First, notice the kind of tree Abraham plants is a tamarisk tree. A tamarisk tree in the Middle East can live for hundreds of years. Second, notice Abraham plants this tree in Beersheba. Several chapters earlier, God appeared to Abraham and promised that He would make Abraham into a great nation, give him a great name, give him many descendants, and give him a land to possess. Beersheba would have been a region included in the land God promised that Abraham would one day possess.

Once these pieces of the puzzle are put in place, we begin to see the significance of Abraham’s action. By planting this tree in Beersheba, he was communicating a message of belief and trust in God’s promises. He believed in God’s promise to give him the land he was currently sojourning in, and he trusted that future generations would enjoy the benefits of this tree!

It is in this context that we read: “Abraham…worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God” (Genesis 21:33). Abraham trusted that the God who promised to bless him would be faithful to those promises, not just in the present, but hundreds and even thousands of years in the future. And today, we can see how His promises to save His people from sin and death have ultimately been fulfilled in Jesus. He made the way for us to become part of God’s family and live with Him forever through His death and resurrection. God loves us, and we, like Abraham, can trust God to be faithful to His promises and His character—day after day, month after month, season after season, and year after year. After all, God is the Eternal God. • Jonathon Fuller

• Not only is God eternal, but if we know Jesus, He is eternally with us. He is also eternally loving, eternally good, and eternally faithful. He always keeps His promises. How can remembering that God is the Eternal God encourage us as we face challenges and trials in life?

• Today is Arbor Day! How can planting trees remind us of God’s faithfulness?

Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God. Genesis 21:33 (NLT)