Genesis 21:12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”

This is actually a very significant verse in world history, affecting even today’s news. The Arab nations have tried to deny this verse, but it still stands. We really don’t know what effects our choices and actions will have down the line. Sometimes even seemingly insignificant things can have great repercussions. God is the only one who can sort all of that out, because He alone sees the end from the beginning. That’s where faith comes in! We are called to be faithful, moment by moment, and to leave the effects of our faithfulness to God, both short- and long-term. That’s not always easy; in fact, it’s often rather difficult. We want to see results right now of the things we see as good, and we often completely overlook things that seem insignificant at the moment but turn out to have great impact down the line. This reality is what is behind the theory of multiple universes, which postulates that every time there is such a pivotal moment, both eventualities happen, creating new universes. Such thinking is an interesting intellectual exercise, and it can result in good fiction, but we are still stuck with the results of our choices whether we think there is another universe where we made the other choice or not. Human beings are at the same time completely insignificant and vitally important. We are assigned value by God, because He created us out of His love, and that is the source of all meaning in our lives. Over-thinking all the ramifications of our actions can lead to total indecision and paralysis, but that too is an action, a choice not to do. The path of peace, joy, and success is that of faith, trust, and obedience.

Wow! That got deep! I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve discovered that something I paid little attention to at the time turned out to impact someone greatly. I have blessed people without knowing it, and I have hurt people without knowing it. I would rather bless people! Right now Cathy and I are very caught up in what is going on about her health, and that greatly narrows our field of vision. We completely forgot a commitment we had made for Wednesday morning, for example, and were both quite distressed when we remembered it Wednesday night. The point for us both right now is to rest, relax, and rejoice in our Lord, knowing that He is still God, He is still love, and He wants to use us to draw others to Himself. I am not to go down rabbit trails of speculation about anything (unless I’m writing a novel!) but rather choose to trust God enough to receive His grace for right now, and know that is sufficient.

Father, thank You for bringing the song, One Day at a Time, to mind this morning. It’s very appropriate! Thank You for this opportunity to grow in faith and trust. I do pray that all of Your plans, for today and each day, would be realized as You desire, for our blessing and for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!