Day 8

        The theme for this week has to do with choices.  We will read of the choices made by Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Esau, Rebekah, Laban, Rachel, Joseph and his brothers, and even of the choices God sovereignly makes.  The practical aspect of choosing God’s will becomes a predominant theme this week.

         Abraham had several wives and children. Yet, God chose Sarah, not Hagar or Keturah, to be the mother of Isaac, the child of promise.  Likewise, God chose Isaac long before he was ever born to be the heir of Abraham.
         We also read of God choosing Jacob as the child of promise as opposed to his twin brother Esau, the one who, traditionally speaking since he was the firstborn, should have been the heir of promise.
         In Romans 9, the Apostle Paul uses the story of Jacob and Esau to illustrate God’s choices.  It’s interesting to remember that years later Jacob was used to bless Joseph’s son Ephraim instead of the older one Manasseh as even another example of God’s choosing.
         According to Romans nine, God’s choices are determined by His will.  Prayerfully our choices are in line with His will as well.

General Questions for each day:
Summarize the day’s Bible passage in your own words.
What thoughts, actions, attitudes or beliefs are addressed in the passage?
How is the Holy Spirit leading you to apply this passage to your life today?