One choice can make a difference

Romans 11:12
Exodus 32:9-14

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Occasionally we are offered a choice to change not only our own lives, but the lives of many others not even born yet. Our decision is not just a personal one but one that will determine the course of history in ways we cannot imagine. Moses was given that choice when the Lord offered to bring about His plan of salvation through him and his descendants, destroying the remaining Israelites who had made a golden calf to worship. I doubt that Moses thought through all the implications of that offer before rejecting it and interceding for the people before the Lord for His mercy to be upon them. For it would have meant only one Israelite tribe rather than 12; one family to grow before invading the land of Canaan; Moses (descendant of Levi) as the direct ancestor of Jesus rather than Judah. But he saw that the right thing for him to do was to request mercy for the people and pray that the Lord not destroy them altogether.
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As grateful as I am that the decision of the Jews to reject the Messiah has fully opened the door for us Gentiles to be grafted into the family of God, it would indeed be wonderful if we could all join together as His people. God has brought tremendous good out of the Chosen People's rejection of Him, so imagine how wonderful it would be if we all cooperated with Him to bring about an even greater good! If those who were originally chosen by the Lord were to rejoin His People, we would be much greater together than we ever could be separately.
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In the same way, the little choices we make to follow the Lord add up to a far greater good than we could imagine when making the choice. It may not seem like much to carve out time each day to spend with God, yet that small decision can influence our choices throughout the rest of the day, can encourage others to live for the Lord that day, can motivate the next generation to give their lives to Christ, can nudge people around us in small ways to make right decisions. That small decision can have a snowball effect to change the world we live in, even though we can't see the long-term consequences when we make that choice.