God Gives Us Choices

I absolutely know that God had a hand in my existence. I know He had a purpose in mind for my life. I know He is even in the details and in my story.

The Bible teaches us that God has a plan and purpose for all of our lives, but it isn’t automatic. We can miss it! It’s easy to think our life is defined by what happens to us. But the truth is that our life is defined by the choices we make.

That’s because God won’t force us to enjoy the plan He has for us. He gives us the choice to obey or disobey His directions. He gives us the choice to follow or ignore the purpose of our creation.

The Bible says repeatedly that God will not force us to do His will.
When Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and into the desert after 400 years of slavery, he told them about a land of milk and honey, a land of bountiful blessings that God had promised them. It would be so different from their years of slavery.

Before they went into the Promised Land, God, through Moses, said to the people the same thing He says to us: “Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster. I am commanding you to be loyal to the Lord, to live the way He has told you, and to obey His laws and teachings. You are about to cross the Jordan River and take the land that He is giving you. If you obey Him, you will live and become successful and powerful.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16)

God was giving them a choice. God wanted His people to enjoy the bounty of the Promised Land. But He didn’t make them accept it. The choice was theirs.

In order to enjoy life in the Promised Land, the Israelites had to choose to obey God. We, too, must choose whether we’ll accept God’s salvation and the good things He’s planned for us.

God could have made us a puppet, but He didn’t. He gives us the ability to choose. If we choose poorly, that choice is our greatest mistake. If we choose wisely, it’s our greatest blessing. Today God gives us a choice between life or death. Which path will we choose?

We cannot live on autopilot — with a “let’s just wing it” mindset. With zeal and determination, wouldn’t being a “chooser” the way to go — choosing to follow God’s plan for our lives? Then we’ll be singing with the Gaither Vocal Band:

“The more I trust Him, the more I love Him
Nothing good for me He’ll deny
The longer I know Him, the better I can show Him
I couldn’t stop now if I tried.

It gets sweeter as the days go by
It gets sweeter as the moments fly
His love is richer, deeper, fuller, sweeter
Sweeter, sweeter, sweeter as the days go by.”

Trust me! I am proof positive that making wise choices produces the sweetest days and times EVER! Let’s choose LIFE!