Choices

Choices

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.(KJV) See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil. Deut. 30:15 (NIV)

As I watch the sun come up this morning and a bright new day begin, I pause to ponder why the human race has found it so difficult to choose to live their lives in peace. Each new day brings a fresh start and a new beginning. Each morning begins with nothing left over from the day before. How beautiful and joyful it would be if everyone would accept that fact and live it throughout the day.

Think about this passage as you read the morning news or watch the news on television. (Good News) “Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death.” The choice to be at war with another country. The choice to allow college kids to drink at a younger age. The choice to be a part of a gang whose existence depends on violence. The choice to rob cemeteries of metal to sell for recycle The choice to raise the cost of fuel, food, energy, water and housing to a level where only a few can survive. Choices like these and too many more to list start each and every day.

How do you begin your day? Do you roll over and pretend it has not started? Or, do you see the new day as a new start or a miracle……..you are alive! You are given another day to make choices that will not only affect you but other lives as well. How hard is it to pop out of bed and relish being alive? But, I don’t have that car I wanted or the job I need or the clothes I want or the money I need. How can I be excited about this day without all these things? Come on! Think about it. What are your priorities? What takes first place in your life as the most important thing? Money? Homes? Cars? Prestige? Life? God?

Wait, how did God get into the picture? What does He have to do with me being happy about this day? Where do you think everything comes from? Who do you believe is responsible for your very life? If God is not the answer then who is? Look again at the Bible and see a revelation. The Word is full of examples of God’s work and if you can’t accept that Word then explain it all your way. Oh yes, as you are trying to explain all these things why not just start with life itself. All life, not just yours. Every living thing has a beginning. While you are working on that problem I will give you something else to ponder.

As a parent most of us want only the best for our kids and we would do almost anything to see that happen. As our Father, God does everything to see we have a full and blessed life. First, He gave us life. Then, He allowed us to grow up to the point where we were smart enough to make wise and good choices. At no time does God “pull our strings.” He gave us all free will. I think that is the only error He ever made. His loving creation, us, then began to listen to other “voices” and be tempted. We began to make choices that went against God’s desire for a blessed life for us. We disobeyed our Father. As parents we have had to experience disobedience from our own kids. We have had to discipline our own flesh and blood. Was it a tough thing to have to punish someone you love? Think about how God must feel when we disobey Him. Every human being that has ever existed and exists now and will exist are His “kids” even if they don’t acknowledge Him as their Father.

In Deut. 30:15-20 God explains our choices. Simply. In verses 15, 19, the choices are good or evil, life or death; in verse 16 the choices are love or hatred of God, walk in God’s ways or reject them, keep His commandments, statutes, and judgments or transgress them. In verse 17, 20 cleave to God or turn away from Him, hear God or refuse to hear Him, worship God or other gods. In verse 18 live long or perish quickly. In verse 19 blessing or cursing.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these choices.

Good/evil

Most folks believe that there is good and evil in this world. Even primitive cultures and tribes believed in evil spirits. To this day, evil is associated with the bad things that happen. So, if you are given the choice between all good things and all bad things for yourself, why would you deliberately choose bad?

Life/death

This is a no brainer. Would you go out of your way to choose to die? Do you choose to smoke or live life to the fullest? Do you do drugs as a way to escape or avoid life in its beauty? Do you choose toxic substances to put in your body? Alcohol? Preservatives?

Life or death?

Love God/hate God

Have you decided that there is a God yet? Have you pondered what I said at the start of this? Who gave you life? Should you have determined that life was no mere accident of nature and that a loving Creator/Father made all life, you are at least on the right track. Now, do you choose to love that God or hate Him? Hate the very reason you have life? Hate this incredible world and its unending variety? Hate the person you share life with? Hardly a choice when you think about it.

Walk in God’s ways/reject them

As a father we give our kids direction and guidance. We nurture their choices so that they might have only good things. God gave us an “owner’s manual” to help us in our walk with him. We debate, argue, discuss and alter His directions to suit our needs. Then when things don’t work out we blame the Word as being unbelievable. Folks, if God said it we better believe it or the alternative will become a reality in our lives. God’s commandments are so simple and easy to follow. The problems are the variations we have created to fit the way we want things run. Good example: Don’t kill (Ex. 20:13) but we modify our laws so that abortion of children is legal. Enough said. Examine the other commandments and see how many have been modified or just plain ignored.

Cleave unto God/turn away from Him

We have “gods” everywhere we look. From the Eastern religions that are having a huge impact on a certain age group to the ” idols” in professional sports. We have an overabundance of “gods” that are being “worshipped” each day. Far too many movie stars and sports divas command millions of dollars and set the example by their use of drugs and their amoral behaviors. These people are the ones we hold in high esteem and our kids want to be like. Just look at the fashions (?) the kids are wearing and who inspired them. God takes a very low position on the priority list.

So what happens when the choices are wrong? Read the book! The choices are always good or bad, life or death, blessings or curses. There is no gray area or middle ground. Rev. 3:16 (Good News) But because you are lukewarm, neither hot or cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth! God is obviously not happy with that gray area choice. Politicians often play in that zone so as to make no waves on either side and therefore secure their position in office. Back in the day we called that being a mug womp. Straddling the fence with the mug on one side and the womp on the other. The choice to exclude God is clearly defined in the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation God makes it clear that to live contrary to his laws means to invite every kind of disaster and death. Death, eternal death, without God. Not a choice any rational thinking person would make.

The alternative of a bad choice is also clearly defined over and over in the Bible. If you take every curse and apply the opposite you will see the potential blessing. Every detail of your life will be blessed with abundance when God is the choice. From cover to cover, the Bible is explicitly detailed with examples and God’s promises for the blessed life for the believer. In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The word abundantly in the Greek is perissos which means superabundance, excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, more than sufficient. Wow! Can it be said any better than that!

God created everything. (Genesis) He gave everything to His human creation, Adam. He gave Adam free will and blessed him with a mate and eternal life. He planted a garden to provide food. The Tree of Life was also in the garden along with the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. The Tree of Life is the tree that is associated with experiencing the life of God, including immorality. The Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil represents human autonomy, that is, self-rule and an assumed independence from God in all areas of life. From that tree came the downfall of mankind. Satan convinced Eve to disobey God and eternal life was forfeit. Because God loved us so much He gave us one last choice……His Son. Our choice now is life, eternal life, through acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God, His sacrifice on the cross for our sins, His resurrection and assent into heaven to return to the Father. The choice to believe in Jesus Christ and live as a follower of the Son of God is our best and only choice for a blessed, abundant life ETERNALLY. Only one God, one Christ, one Holy Spirit, one eternity.

Satan can only offer the full range of curses and eternal damnation with him.

Can your choice be any clearer? Can you really NOT choose life?

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