The Effects Of Our Choices
Wednesday May 10, 2017
The choices we make affect not only our own life but the lives of our loved ones as well. When we do not acknowledge that God exists then we are actually choosing to rebel against Him. If we are not loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves, then we are choosing to disobey God and that has a negative impact on all our relationships. Our unkind actions, and the gaps created by our failing to reach out with care and blessing, affect everyone in our circle of family and friends.
God describes this condition this way: Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster … love the Lord your God and keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you … But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. (Deuteronomy 30:15-18a NLT)
To a sensible person these would seem like easy choices – life over death; prosperity over disaster; blessings over curses. Unfortunately, many of us chose to follow our own ways and desires and suffer the harmful consequences of doing so. Why? We don’t want to give up our sinful pleasures, and we want to maintain control of our circumstances. Getting our own way seems like the most convenient and pleasant path for a time. That’s why we choose it. God, through the death of his beloved son, has shown us the cost of our sinful choices. Jesus died a punishing death on a cross to pay the price for our sin.
God is pursuing us with his love and forgiveness today. His grace is sufficient to fulfill the deepest longing of our souls.
Prayer: Loving God, I come to You today and ask for forgiveness for my rebellious ways. My desire is to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind, and to demonstrate this by obeying You in all I do and say. AMEN
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