They say that the average number of choices made by an adult is 35,000 per day. Wow! That’s a lot of decisions. Sounds a bit overwhelming, huh? Fortunately, the vast majority of these decisions are trivial and don’t require much thought at all. However, other choices we make actually have the capacity to be life altering. Have you ever heard the phrase, “you are a product of your own choices?” There’s actually scientific evidence that supports this, and it basically says that our daily decisions have the power to shape and mold our lives…and ultimately who we are.
I for one, am very thankful that God did not make me a programmed robot. I mean, He could have…right? I like the fact that I am able to make my own choices in life, how about you? God created us with the ability to choose. Ultimately, so that our love and devotion to Him and to others would have value. Choice really equates to value. Congruently, given the ability to choose, we also will receive the consequences (good or bad) of our choices. The Bible calls these results “blessings or curses.” (see Duet. 11:26) God, in His infinite wisdom, is a god of order. He is above all, true to Himself and to His Word. Much of how we see Him operate is/was set into motion when He initially created it. Think of it as “cause and effect.” The law of gravity is a good example. A colorful rainbow displaying the visible light spectrum when the sun and moisture conditions meet, is another. Similarly, God’s order also includes a cause and effect in our personal lives through the choices we make. You see, God is not an angry dictator as some would suppose. On the contrary, He is a loving God who gives us direction and opportunities because He wants us to be blessed. Ironically, people continue to blame God for their predicaments; rather than owning up to their own bad choices
Each of us has even made choices or decisions in our own mind about who God is, and specifics about His nature. Unfortunately, some peoples view of Gods nature is the result of choosing to believe misguided information. Take my friend Chip, as an example (from my previous blog post). Chip understood God’s love to be divided and unfair, claiming that God chooses to send some people to Hell. When in fact, it is essentially God’s desire that nobody would be separated from Him. (1 Tim 2:4). Scripture is very clear that God has given each and every individual the choice. He (God) is not to blame for anyone’s choice. Again, it’s a cause and effect situation…it’s been established. Life, and how we live it is a choice—and all choices have consequences.
I recently heard a story of a woman who had tragically lost her mother to cancer when she was just a little girl. The moms Pastor had told the little girl that Jesus had taken her mommy away in order to be with Him. Hence, throughout her life, the daughter could not properly understand God’s love or His nature, when her perspective of God was that He didn’t even care about a little girl being without her mommy. This was her “lens,” from which she viewed God.
Such a sad story. But once again, our decisions in life are often influenced by bad data (people, social structure, bad laws, government, and misguided religion). Wouldn’t it be nice if we all got our information from the same source? We need to have a standard. Something reliable…our “go to” for truth and wisdom. Well, we do actually. It is the Bible (aka, God’s Word). Ah, but you might be saying, “It’s not reliable. It’s written by men. It’s out of date (old school). Plus, it’s interpreted by people all different kinds of ways.” Well, I’ll give you that last one…it definitely is interpreted many different ways. There are people who often take God’s Word out of context in order to substantiate their own cause or ideas. But listen, the authenticity of the Bible has been tested more than any other document in the world. Each and every time, only proving its validity. It has not only proven to be accurate, but powerful and living. It is God’s Word for us to know Him historically, currently, and prophetically. It is very relevant for today. It is powerful and contains hope, peace, and direction for life. But once again, we all get the option to choose whether or not to believe it and/or to live by it. Tragically, millions of people literally make eternal choices about life and God, without actually reading God’s Word for themselves. Be sure of this…satan does not want you to know God’s Word, and he is sure to try to twist it in an attempt to lessen its effectiveness. Still—I’ll say it again—we all have been given the right to choose.
I’m sure we all have made a few bad choices in life. But perhaps today you feel as though your poor choices have left you under a dark cloud that seems to follow you wherever you go. Do you find yourself struggling somewhere between your good side bad side? Are your poor choices affecting your family and friends? Maybe your choices have actually led to addictions involving alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. Do you ever wish you could just hit the “reset” button, and start all over again?
I’ve got great news for you! God is absolutely willing to give you a fresh, clean slate. He will help you to change the way that you think, and how to make good choices. Regardless of how many times you have tried to change and failed–there is still absolute hope for you! The choice to trust and follow Jesus is still available to you. Jesus Christ willingly chose to lay down His life as a sacrifice for YOU. Regardless of the poor choices you may have made in the past, the Bible says that “the blood of Jesus speaks a better word” (Heb. 12:24). Thank God for Jesus and the new covenant. Through the shed blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, you can totally change the way that you live, and make choices that produce a wonderfully blessed life. Proverbs 3:5&6 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Also, Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
In my book The River, God gave me very detailed prophetic visions of His mighty river of blessing. It is truly amazing! The river of His Love is like nothing else you can ever imagine. Regardless of your past choices in life, God still loves you. He is inviting you to step into His river. I encourage you today…don’t make the choice of merely standing by the river bank. Jump in! Make that choice. I promise you, the water is out of this world!
Blessed by the Best!
Mark
See You in the River 