Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Sometimes the Lord moves in mysterious ways. He called on a rank pagan idol worshipper for what appears no reason at all. Told him to leave his country, father, mother, his family, and go to a place that God would show him. Huh? And added " I will make you a great nation. I will bless you, and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing." A great nation? A great name? "And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Say what! Can you imagine the reaction of his family. "You're going to do what?! Are you nuts! What about your benefits, healthcare, 401K! You know what, Abraham obeyed. He listened to God and God gave him the land of Cannan. His livestock grew, and God promised that his descendants would be like the dust of the earth. Which no one can count! And when Abraham had no off spring God promsied him a son, from his own body, even in his old age. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. His actions, his decision to believe God , to follow where God told him to go, bless each and every one of us today. That's right! You are connected to the past through Abraham. Talk about an amazing story! "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles (everyone not born a Jew) by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: All nations will be blessed through you. So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." The gospel, the good news, came down to us from Abraham through His progeny, the 12 tribes, their descendants among whom were Issac,(the son of the promise, born to Abraham), a gentile Moabite girl called Ruth, and Jesse the father of David and finally Jesus of Nazareth, The Christ. All because Abraham believed God. You are part of this whether you know it or not. Whether you believe it or not. It was God's plan from eternity. And for those who believe scripture. "He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus"...Paul wrote this thousands of years later! That blessing given to Abraham has come to us. That blessing is redemption through the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. Decisions do matter. Sometimes we are forced into them unexpectedly when they are the last things on our mind. Sometimes they occur through derision or strife. It happened in the early days of the church. ^{Acts 15:36} Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. ³⁸ But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. " Yet even in this unfortunate split instead of one missionary and pastoral expedition there were two. God turned a a really sad incident into something good. Leaving a place you love, a loved one when they pass from this life or even a job you take pride in and enjoy because of derision or strife is no easy decision. Yet know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to His purpose. A purpose at that time of distress we may not know or understand.