1 Corinthians 2:9 (English Standard Version) 9But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined,what God has prepared for those who love him
Genesis 17:1-11 (English Standard Version)
Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision
1When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;[a] walk before me, and be blameless, 2that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4″Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be called Abram,[b] but your name shall be Abraham,(c) for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
9And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
My TAKE: Covenants are very important, but we sometimes take them for granted. They aren’t just important for the here and now, they are vitally important to our future generations. The decisions that we make today will affect our future, either in a good way or a bad way. I want to make decisions that will prove my love to Jesus, and not just what I would like to do. When I study the lives of Christians from the Bible, it is encouraging to me, and I can draw strength for my journey. It is a religious heritage that connects me to my ancestors’ dedication toward fulfilling a covenant to God, thereby keeping me tied to a covenant to God. I have a hope that has stood the test of time, and the results are evident everyday: answered prayers, safety in times of danger, a true hope in times of distress.If God can change a man such as Paul, and use him to make a difference, then I am assured that He can use even me. I pray that I will become more aware of the CALL that God has upon me, and that I will make the choices that can impact my future generations in a positive way.
