February 28, 2018 Wednesday

“Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. “And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”” (Genesis 17:15-16 NKJV)

            When we follow God and accept the call for our lives this will and must affect our families and those close to us.  Some people may not be able to understand or accept that change and draw away from us while others will accept not only the change to us but the change it means for them.

            Abraham’s wife Sarai was able to accept the change and so she also was changed.  We can know this because God changed her name also!  Sarai which means princess is changed to Sarah which means noblewoman. 

            This may seem to be a step down but in reality it is a step up.  For Sarai to be a princess is a position which does not define character but in those days a noblewoman was a woman of great character who made the life of all around her better and deeper.

            From this we see accepting God’s call changes us to become a better and deeper person.  Our lives become more real and thus God can us to change the reality around us!  God makes us a noble people who quietly change the world in which we live.

            Like Eve Sarah would become a mother of many people.  Eve is the mother of all humanity but Sarah is the mother of those who follow God and accept His call!  By accepting God’s call Sarah has the right and duty to demand her “children” accept God’s call for them!

            God reminds us that when we accept his call for us we also receive God’s blessing and the promise that we will be blessed by seeing “children” given to us!  Please understand we are not called to save people or to be successful but to plant seeds and nourish them with love but it is God who really saves, changes their lives and places His call upon their lives.

            We continue to help them grow up and to grow into their faith and God’s calling for them.  Jesus calls us to make disciples knowing that only God can make them Christians.  And discipleship is more than just a moment at the altar! 

            Are you living out God’s call for you?  Is God using you to reach out to those He loves and cares for?  Are you disciplining those younger in you in the faith even if they are older in years?

       Today I feel so bad.  The medicine seems to be working on the either cellulites or the gout and my right foot is better.  But my left foot is hurting even more and looks bad.  I never know if the pain is from some illness or from the small fiber neuropathy.  Went to Dr Barkers and they checked out the machine and if I was using it.  They found I was using it and that it was helping a lot.  Got some advice from them about how to better use the CPAP machine.  God is so good and keeps us provided for.