We are going through "The Story" in our couples small group. We are on the second section where God begins to build a nation through Abram.

The thing that struck me the most about this section of the Story is the that Abram (soon to be called Abraham) was just an ordinary guy. There was nothing significant about him that made him stand out. OK, so he was relatively well off but he was not a leader of a nation; he was not a mighty warrior; he was a simply a man; a simple (and sinful mind you) man that God chose to build a nation from.

What WAS extraordinary is that Abram responded in obedience. God asked him to leave his family and start moving. God didn't tell him where he was going, He just said leave - and he did! Abram responded in faith; walking away from his family and choosing to live as a nomad in obedience to God.

What do we/I learn from this? Simply put - God chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God uses ordinary women and men to execute his plan. That's me......ordinary man; extraordinary in God's eyes when I live in obedience and faith!

(Side note: James teaches us that Elijah was a man just like us, but he prayed and it did not rain. He was trying to say Elijah was just and ordinary man who did extraordinary things when he listened to God and spoke what God told him to do!)