Tag: choices

Choices and Truth

 

Jeremiah 24-26

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Monday, March 6

I had two major thoughts when reading Jeremiah today…

1) We are free to choose, but we are not free from the consequences of our choices.

2) Speaking a tough truth is hard to do!

God has rules for us to follow.  In fact, He has an entire book of what rules we need to follow and examples of how to follow them.  And yet here we are… still breaking the rules.  And no one is forcing us to break them, it’s all on us!  Jeremiah 25:7 says “But you did not listen to me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made and you have brought harm to yourselves.”

We make choices every single day.  Some are good, some are bad.  But we have the freedom to choose how we will live our lives.  What we do not have is freedom from the consequences of what we choose.  Sinner or saint, Christian or not, at some point we will all have to stand before the throne and answer for our choices.  God makes it clear, He explains exactly what will happen when we don’t follow His rules.  Nothing is going to spare us from the wrath His cup will pour out (25:15) except for our own choices.  I would much rather have God’s eyes watching over us and building us up (24:6), wouldn’t you?

Chapter 26 tells us about how Jeremiah prophesied the hard truth to the people of Judah.  He told them that their city would become desolate and deserted (26:9).  Obviously, they did not take that too kindly and ended up threatening his life!  But Jeremiah did not back down from the truth he knew he was speaking.  He opened himself up, he told them to do whatever they wanted to him but that it wouldn’t change his message (26:14-15)!  Because of this, God protected him and they spared his life.  Now let’s jump down to Uriah’s story.  He preached the same message as Jeremiah did to the same people, yet his life was not spared in the end.  The difference?  Uriah fled when they threatened him.  He was afraid of what people were going to do to him.  He lacked the same faith and trust in God’s protection that Jeremiah had, and he suffered because of it.  So, how can this apply to your life?  Speak truth and don’t back down.  God’s got your back, even when it seems like you’re on your own against an angry city!

-Sarah Blanchard

 

(Photo Credit: quotescodex.com)

May Our Choices be Righteous & Courageous! (Joshua 22-24)

Thursday, September 29

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Nikki Green

As we wrap up the book of Joshua, we find our strong and courageous leader in the last days of his life.  Joshua calls the twelve tribes together to review all God had done for His people.  Joshua states that the LORD fought for Israel and drove out the other nations.  He urges the Israelites to remain faithful to God.  He warns them not to worship foreign gods or marry outside the Israelite nation.  He cautions them not to disobey – not to turn to the right or the left.  The theme of courage is echoed again.  He reminds them that what God gave, He can take away.  The land has always been His.  Joshua’s words of wisdom lead to a choice when he says, “Choose this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Josh 14:15).  The Israelite people responded with the commitment, “We will serve the LORD, for He is our God” (Josh 24:18).

After the remarkable history lesson and reflection on the mighty deeds of God, we read that Joshua died at age 110.  He was buried in the land of his inheritance – the Promised Land.  Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua, which speaks volumes about his leadership and authority.  The book of Joshua ends with the completion of a generation of heroes.  We are reminded of Moses and Aaron, the dynamic duo, who began this great land repossession quest.  Joshua and Eleazar, the priest, jump in and prove to be the next generation of heroes.  Joshua was mentored by Moses.  Eleazar was the son of Aaron, Moses’ brother, and received outstanding mentorship from these men as well.  The book ends with the death of these “super men” and symbolically completes the story of conquest and conquer as “The LORD Saves” (Big thanks to Moses for Joshua’s new name & the answer to what we all need)!

 

 

The Choice is Yours (Deuteronomy 30 & 31)

 

Wednesday, September 21

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By Jill McClain

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.  For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”  Deuteronomy 30:19-20

We have been given a simple choice.  Do we choose blessings and life or curses and death?  There are no other alternatives.  It seems like the choice should be an easy one, set up with a clear best answer.  And yet so often we lose our way, and make the wrong choice.  We may suggest that obedience is just too hard or that we cannot know how to obey because we do not understand what is expected of us.  However, that is certainly not the case.  God’s laws are clearly given to us in the Bible.  “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach…No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11 & 14)  God does not force us to act in accordance with his commands, because he wants us to freely choose to love and obey him.  He wants us to have a relationship with him that will in turn lead to a desire to please him.  In verse 16 we are commanded to not only obey, but also to love our Heavenly Father. “For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws.” (Deuteronomy 30:6) We offer our obedience to God, as an act of love.

The choice is yours to make.  Will you choose blessings and life or curses and death? It is a choice that everyone must make for themselves.  Furthermore, it is the most important choice you will ever make, with life or death consequences.  The good news is, if you have made the wrong choice in the past, God is abounding in mercy.  It is not too late, to start over and make the correct choice. What about you?  Have you chose blessings and life or curses and death?

Blessings or Curses (Deuteronomy 8-11)

September 15
Blessing, Curse Green Road Sign Over Dramatic Blue Sky and Clouds.

By Joseph Partain

Are you enjoying this book as much as I do? There is so much truth and a true picture of the loving God we serve. There is also the realization that we need to conform our lives to his words and commands for our benefit.

Chapter 8 stresses the importance of being humble and remembering that God disciplines us because he loves us.  Verse 6 gives us a glimpse of the promised land – God laid out a land that they can enjoy and work on and be prosperous. God wants us to have good things but to always remember who is the giver of every good thing. This chapter reminds me of Prov.30 v. 7-9 where Agur asks for neither poverty nor wealth but only his daily bread. He does not want to become rich and in turn have a proud heart. The humility that comes from God allows us to praise the one who has given us everything and especially his Son.

Chapter 9 has God preparing themselves to again enjoy the spoils of his victory against a powerful foe. He tells the Israelites he is giving the land to fulfill his covenant with Abraham and not for any good thing they had done. Moses then warns them not to reject God but to turn to him. It seems like the only time the Israelites and we turn to God is in a time of distress but how good would it be to just praise him instead of having a rebellious heart?

Chapter 10 gives us a glimpse into God’s character. Verse 14 states that even though he owns everything in heaven and earth, he set his affection on you. How blessed are we to have a God that loves like this. How could we change if we take our eyes off ourselves and love those around us like this. This chapter also states that God loves the ones who are in need, the widow, the orphan and tells us to love them also. Look around and it won’t be too hard to find someone that you can share the love of God with.

What a choice God gives us in ch.11 v 26 . A choice between blessings or curses. Who in their right mind would even have to think twice about that choice but every day since Adam and Eve, man has chosen curses. Gal 6:7-10 says God will not be mocked, a man reaps what he sows. If we sow to ourselves we reap corruption, but the good news is if we sow to God we reap eternal life. The choice is before us today curses if we disobey but blessings if we choose to obey God’s word. Now start today making a choice to allow God’s blessings in our speech, relationships, and activities.