Deut.30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.
We are faced with choices every day. Whether to wear this or that. Whether to do this or that. Whether to do the right thing or the wrong thing. Whether to sin or not to sin. A recent social media status I saw stated, ‘When people be like at the end of the day all I got is me, I be like really? How you got through life thus far? Cause at the end of the day all I got is GOD. Half the time I lead myself into the wrong path.’ The statement not only speaks of God being the only way, but it also speaks of the strength or power that you have; whether to take the right path or the wrong path.
That We Are Given Choices Is Clear Gen.2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou latest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou greatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen.4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou diets not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto them shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Josh.24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom he will serve; whether the gods which your father’s served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land he dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt he between two opinions? if the Lord be GOD, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. The Bible is full instances of individuals given choices to make–some made the right choice and others disobeyed, thereby making the wrong choice. King Saul and Naaman are examples of this, to name a few.
The Choices You Make • You choose how far or how close you want to follow the Lord Peter followed Jesus at a distance (Mat.26:58; Mk.14:54) We at times get comfortable in our place and in our space. We just don’t want to get too involved; no commitments, no responsibilities. How close do you want to get to God? How far are you from Him? • You choose to move forward or to look backward Jesus warned us to remember Lot’s wife (Lu.17:32; Gen.19:26). It could be said that Lot’s wife: 1. dwelt in the past 2. longed for the old life 3. was fearful of new things Paul said: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phi.3:13-14) Do you want to move ahead or live on the past? • You choose how much of God you want We read of Solomon: And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. (1 Ki.11:6) This was due primarily to: 1. his desire for peace and power (position & politics) 2. his desire for pleasure (all of the women) 3. his desire to please (using the women’s idols) What it all amounted to was compromise. Caleb on the other hand, followed God fully: But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land wherein he went; and his seed shall possess it. (Nu.14:24) How much of God do you want? Is your way more important than His? • You choose how holy you want to live And they shall teach my people the difference between the Holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. (Ezek.44:23) This speaks of one of the ministries of the priests–they were to teach the people. Note what it is that we are to learn–the difference between what is holy and what is not. Do I know the difference? If not, am I learning the difference? If so, am I walking in it? The point is, if I’m saved, I am to be walking in daily holiness. I am to be holy because He is holy (1 Pe.1:16), and I am to be holy in every area of my life. (1 Pe.1:15) There is a difference between what is holy and what is not, and I am required to know that difference is and live by it. How important is holiness to you? • You choose how saved you want to be Technically speaking, there is really no such thing as becoming ‘more’ saved. We are as saved now as we were when we first became saved. Nothing you do can make your salvation more real. But what can be measured is our level of: 1. faithfulness 2. dedication 3. commitment 4. consecration If in all of these areas, I am not all I should be (and none of us really are), my position in Christ is not altered, but my condition will fluctuate. There will be bouts of dissatisfaction, misery, emptiness, lack of fulfillment, and even depression. As a Christian, until I am giving Him my best and my all, and putting Him first, there will be no peace…still saved, but no peace. We are kept by the power of God and God’s power does not fail (1 Pe.1:5)
The Only Right Choice The songwriter said, ‘I have no other choice but to trust Him–I have no other choice but to believe.’ (Tye Tribbett) So many times in life before I tried and tried to do things my way I thought that I was smart enough I thought I knew enough to handle myself I didn’t realize the problem was The struggle was between my will and Yours So I’m giving up my will for Yours I’m totally depending on You Please come through! I have no other choice but to trust You That’s all I can do I have no other choice But to believe! The only right choice is to live His way, trust Him and commit myself to Him.
That’s the Word! Take it with you. God bless you.
ความคิดเห็น