Decisions

March 12, 2017

Opening Hymns:
Breathe on Me Breath of God: http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh420.sht

Scripture Reading:
Genesis 12:1-4a
12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.

12:2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

12:4a So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.

Message:
Sometimes I wish life was a little bit more readily laid out for me. It would nice to have the simple direction of “go here” or “do this” from God. It seems much of our time can be spend questioning or attempting to discern what God would have us do. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I’m so bad with decisions, I fear the weight a wrong decision could make. Even just last week I was distraught over the simple decision to go swing dancing or not. I’ve learned there are some things that God needs to tell us, and other things that God trusts us to choose.

In today’s scripture Abram is given a clear and simple direction, and the Lord gives him a promise. It seems simple enough. However, this is just the beginning of his journey and Abram’s life was anything but simple. He and his wife were beyond child-bearing years, and were asked to have faith that God would bless them with a child. Abram makes a covenant with God and his name becomes Abraham. He does have a son with his wife Sarah, but he is told by God to sacrifice his son. Indeed, his life was not simple at all.

Throughout his journey, we even see him make decisions that may have not been for the best.  When there is a famine he and his wife go to Egypt, and he passes her off as his sister, because she is so beautiful that he fears they would kill him so they could have her. But throughout his life he also listens and follows the guidance that God does give. He trusts that God will keep his son safe when he is asked to sacrifice him, and indeed God provides.

God has given us a promise too. Through Jesus’ life and death, He has promised the forgiveness of all our sins. We are also given very clear, if not simple, instructions: to love God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Perhaps God doesn’t tell us what to do in each instant of our life, but He does give us guidance for how we should live it.

Time of Prayer

Dear Heavenly father, thank you for the guidance You give us throughout our lives. Let us always to treat others with kindness, compassion, and love. Help us when we have big decisions we need to make. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
Close to Thee: http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh407.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.
Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God