This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1-25:18). Read on Shabbat, November 15, 2025 / 24 Cheshvan 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.
“Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 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” (Genesis 23:1-2).
These opening verses remind us that even in endings, God’s purposes continue. Sarah’s death marks both conclusion and beginning. In his grief, Abraham acts with faith and integrity. He secures a burial place for Sarah, the cave of Machpelah, establishing both a memorial and a foothold in the land of promise. Through mourning and faithfulness, the covenant story deepens.
From Sarah’s passing flows the next chapter of God’s plan. Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac, and Rebekah enters the story with courage and generosity. The portion closes with Abraham’s later years and his blessing upon Isaac, showing how life and promise move forward even as one generation fades. This pattern of loss and renewal reminds us that God’s covenant is not limited by time, but continues through faith, obedience, and trust.
In every season, we encounter moments of loss and transition. Loved ones pass, chapters close, and familiar paths come to an end. Yet through these experiences, God invites us to build legacies that endure beyond our lifetime. Grief and faith often coexist. When we surrender what has ended, we make space for what God will begin.
Perhaps you are facing the loss of someone or standing at the edge of a new beginning. Remember that Abraham’s faith did not end with Sarah’s death. He mourned deeply, yet he continued to act, to build, and to trust in the promise. Faith is not denial of sorrow but movement within it, believing that God’s plan continues even through the ache of change.
Spend time this week reflecting on what God may be asking you to release and what He is calling you to nurture. Is there a dream, a memory, or a plan you must lay to rest so that something new can grow? Or is there a promise waiting for your attention and care?
Let your response mirror the faith of Abraham, who grieved honestly yet trusted fully.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for the lives and legacies that have shaped me. Teach me to face both loss and renewal with faith and gratitude. Help me to trust Your purpose through every ending and every beginning. Amen.
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