Genesis 17, Nehemiah 6, Matthew and Acts 16

I found it interesting that circumcision came up in two of the passages today. The first came from Genesis where God made the practice of circumcision part of the covenant with Abraham. The second came when Paul took Timothy, whop had a Greek father, to be circumcised as part of the process of becoming an evangelist with Paul. I know circumcision is a pretty uncomfortable topic (Especially for men - OUCH!!!), but I think these experiences offer us a great challenge. Abraham is a 100 years old when God makes this covenant with him - 100!!! And what does he do when God tells him that part of the covenant is that he must cut off a piece of his skin that has been attached in a very sensitive area for 100 years? He goes out the same day and gets circumcised...in fact he had every single man and boy in his household circumcised. He has been called by God to do something, and so he acts...it is another great example of faith from Abraham. He could have made excuses...he could have tried to wait until God made Sarah pregnant (just to be sure)...but instead he stepped out in faith and did what he knew God was telling him to do. In the same way, Timothy agrees to get circumcised as a young man...circumcised in a time where God was revealing to the followers of Jesus that they didn't really have to be circumcised. Timothy gets circumcised anyway...the question is why? Because he thought he could do more effective ministry to his Jewish brothers. The ministry that God called him to was more important than his comfort. He was willing to make sacrifices to honor God with his life. Jesus talks about counting the cost of discipleship in Matthew chapter 16...both of these men counted the cost of following God and they decided it was worth anything to honor their Master. How about you? I have seen people who have been convicted by God to change things in their lives...who end up making excuses...end up dragging out taking any decisive action...and then they never end up truly following God. They get back into the swing of things in life and ignore the call of God. There is a reason we are still reading about Abraham and Timothy...and a reason that we know nothing about the people that refused to offer themselves to God...be men and women of action, and when God is calling you to change...do whatever it takes to honor Him with your life.