OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS I've enjoyed doing an in-depth study of the Bible. One of the things that led me to this study is that I was wondering what made some of the individual people of the Bible so great. As I looked into this, I began to realize that these individuals faced at least one "point of decision" in their lives. This moment required them to make a decision—one that would be a turning point for them and that would lead them on to their triumphal path. In this study, I came across a passage by Mary Baker Eddy: "Your decisions will master you, whichever direction they take" (Science and Health, p. 392).
So, what were some of the decision the prophets, for example, had to make? Was their eventual experience less difficult because they chose the right path—and how did they know what the right path was anyway? Perhaps what some prophets spiritually sensed is what Jesus put into words when he said, "As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee" (Matt. 8:13). For me, this meant that as we put our trust in God, His goodness will be manifested in our lives.
This is evidenced throughout the Bible. Looking at the lives of people like Moses, Joshua, Ruth, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Luke, and Paul, I asked myself these five questions:
