Encouragement

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Deut. 30:19, “”I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live.”

The word choice/choose means-- “decide, between, select, pick, option.”
The opposite of this word is-- “reject or refuse.”

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THE PRIVILEDGE OF CHOICE:
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It is an awesome thing that God has given each individual person the privilege to choose and make choices whether they are right choices or wrong choices. Praise Him that He has not created us to be robots with no emotions. We are not created to be puppets on a string while God sits up in heaven and pulls the strings to make us to do His will. He gave us choice.

God knew what a risk it was to give us choice because man could just as easily choose to reject Him as man could choose to receive Him. Yet, God was willing to take the risk. Therefore, He created man with choice. He also created the angel’s with choice. Lucifer had choice. Of course, he chose to rebel against God because he wanted to be worshiped and of course, this led to his downfall. At the same time, one-third of the angel’s in heaven chose to follow Lucifer in his rebellion against God and it meant their downfall as well (2 Peter 2:4-9).

Lets look at the opening Scripture again.
Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live.”

God said, (paraphrase) ‘everyone in creation take notice, I’m going on record. Heaven and earth is my witnesses that I’m giving you, my people, a choice this day to either choose life or death, blessing or cursing. Its up to you to make the choice, but choose life so you can live in the good of the land---you and your children.’ You see, God wants us to have the good of everything He has already in store to give us. Jesus came to give us life and give it to us in abundance in every area of our life. He wants us prospering in spirit, soul and body (3 John 2). Thats abundance.

To take a closer look at choice, we have to go back to Adam and Eve in the garden. It would benefit us to see how they handled choice. Actually, they had never been confronted with having to make choices between good and evil. This was so because sin had not entered into the Garden of Eden just yet. When they ran to meet God as He came in the cool of the day to commune with them, Adam and Eve didn’t have to think choice in order to greet Him. The choice was automatically made out of pure hearts of love and devotion for their heavenly Father.

Meanwhile, Satan was around observing them very closely. He studied every move they made to better see where there was an opening to get in and deceive them. Satan can’t steal, kill or destroy until he first deceives you with a twisted version of God’s truth like he did with Eve (Gen.3:1), “Has God said you can’t eat of these tree’s in the garden?” The question was meant to cause her to doubt God. This is exactly the same method he uses on God’s people today in the Church. The sad part is, the Church has so little discernment where the enemy is concerned that we’re still falling for this age old, worn out tactic, “Have God said you’re going to be healed? Has God said, you’re going to start that new church, etc.?” God, help us have more discernement.

When Satan had Eve’s attention, he told her she wouldn’t die if she ate the forbidden fruit, it would make her wise like God. In fact, he implied, she could be her own god and do whatever she FELT like doing. Thus the slogan was birthed that we‘ve heard so often, “If it FEELS good, do it.” Choice that was made by both Adam and Eve not only affected them but also affected the whole world and every person who would be born into it. This says that sin (any kind of sin) is not a personal (it’s my life, I’ll do what I want to) kind of thing. Whatever the sin, if not deal with through repentance and the blood of Jesus, it’s like a cancer that will and does spread, affecting everyone close to you.

We must never forget one thing, sin is by choice. We don’t just fall into it without there being some wrong choices made along the way to bring us to that certain point. We may not have chosen a particular sin to indulge in, but past wrong choices may bring us to the point of choosing now, today, whether to proceed with a particular sin or reject it. Another thing I want to make sure we understand and that is this, just as Satan had to grab Eve’s attention in order to work his deception on her, so does he have to grab your attention before he can deceive you. If you don’t give him your attention, he has no ground to deceive you.

Eph.4:27 says, “Neither give place to the devil.” When Satan has come to lie on God---thats exactly what he does. He lies to us about the Word of God, although we might not notice right away the twisted version of God’s Word. Obviously, Eve didn’t. This is why it’s more important than ever to learn the voice of the Holy Spirit. Learn to recognize Him when He speaks in that still small voice to your spirit. Then when Satan comes with the voice of accusation and condemnation, quoting his version of God’s Word, you won’t be as quick to let him grab your attention. You can simply say, “No place, Satan. In the mighty name of Jesus, I give you NO place!” James 4:7 says, “Humble yourselves therefore unto God; resist the devil and he WILL flee from you.” You can tell the devil in humble boldness to flee and HE has no other choice but to obey! Praise God!

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THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CHOICE:
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Sometimes, we’re not aware of particular wrong choices we made in the past and often times when things have taken a different turn, we wonder how we got here when we thought we were headed in another direction? So often we’re sure it couldn’t be because we overtly had anything to do with getting ourselves in a place of danger by committing a sin against God. Automatically we want to blame someone else for our being at this place because we don’t ‘see’ the string of choices we made back there that were not exactly the right one’s. Wrong choices that have followed us all the way up to our present.

If you notice, after the fall God spoke to both Adam and Eve about their individual choices that they independently made of each other. He called both Adam and Eve into account (Gen.3:6-13). God deals with us no different today than He did the first couple in the beginning. God will sooner or later call us into account to face the irresponsibility of the wrong choices we made ourselves.

Adam made some serious wrong choices when Satan came and started a running conversation with his wife. 1 Timothy 2:14, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Bottom line, they both sinned. Adam chose to stand by while Satan conversed with his wife, twisting God’s Word around to make the wrong sound as though it was something that was right. That's what deception is. Eve chose to listen to Satan because, I believe she thought she was talking to a ‘familiar beast of the field.’ She didn’t seem to have a problem in talking to this familiar looking serpent.

Then, we see her choose to pluck the fruit off the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and eat of it. And when she offered it to Adam, he chose to eat of it also. The sad part is, God had given them both dominion (authority) [Gen.1:28], and they could’ve said, “No deal, devil!” and run that snake out of the garden at any time before they ate that fruit. So, their choice’s brought devastating consequences, not only for them but also for the whole world and it’s population yet to be born. And that's where we can in at--the population that was born later.

We are accountable and responsible for the choices we make, whether they are good or bad (Romans 14:12). You can see the evidence of this in Genesis 3:8-13, when God came walking into the garden calling out to the first couple and saying ‘Adam, where are you?’ Of course, God knew exactly where he was but He was calling Adam to give him the opportunity to repent of his sin of unbelief and disobedience. Instead of heeding God’s call to repent, he made another choice---he chose to blame God for his problems. Adam’s problems stemmed from his own wrong choice.

The Bible doesn’t say that Eve twisted Adam’s arm to eat the forbidden fruit. Genesis 1:6 says, ...she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband WITH HER: and he did eat.” That sounds to me like he made a choice to stand there with her the whole time while Satan was destroying his home and family. He chose to stand by and say absolutely nothing. Then, Adam chose to blame God for His problems in Genesis 3:12, “And the man said,
(paraphrase), ‘THIS woman, Lord, that YOU gave me, SHE’S the reason for all my problems. This whole thing is not my fault. She wasn’t MY idea. She was YOUR idea! Well, look where that has got me.’

This sort of sounds like telling God, “Hey, I think you did a lousy job of creating this woman (man or whatever it might pertain to). I really think I could’ve done a better job than You, God.” This is some dangerous ground to be on when we call God on the carpet, so to speak. I mean, we are the clay, and God is the Potter. Does the clay have the right to tell the Potter how to mold and shape it into a vessel of beauty and honor? Fit for the Master’s use? No, we do not have that right.

To do this sounds like Satan going before God and accusing Him about Job. (paraphrase)“Just look at Job. You’ve got such a hedge around him it’s pitiful! You ought to take down that hedge and let me at him. I’ll show you how to do things. You're way too soft on this so-called creation of yours anyway. I dare you, let me at him and you’ll see how faithful he is. He’ll curse you to your face.”

Of course, we know from the book of Job that Job didn’t curse God to His face, no matter what the devil threw at him. His choice from the beginning to the end was to remain true to his God. But as you read the account in the book of Job---Job made a choice and spoke it out of his mouth that opened the door for the devil to be able to come in on him in the first place. Job said, “That which I greatly FEARED is come upon me.” He chose to fear instead of totally trusting God to look after him and his family. Fear activates Satan to work evil on your behalf the same way that faith activates God to work good on your behalf.

After Adam was finished with his angry outburst of blame, God turned to the woman and said
( paraphrase), “Okay, lets hear your side of it. What is this that you have done?” (Gen. 3:13). And the woman said, “the serpent beguiled (deceived) me, and I did eat.” So she blamed the devil. There was a lot of blame flying around here but don’t forget all the choices they each made. So, it would be safe to say that we can’t go further in fulfilling our destiny until we first understand that we are responsible and are accountable unto God for the choices we make. And that is whether they are good choices that brings blessings into our life or bad choices that brings devastation.

In making right and wrong choices, when God came to Abraham to make covenant, God told him to pack up his family and possessions and leave his father’s house. Leave the country to go to a land where God would show him (Genesis 12:1-4). Abraham had a choice. He could have told God, “No, I don’t believe I want to leave my home where I’ve lived all my life. I’m comfortable here. Thanks but no thanks.” The Bible says that Abraham “departed as the Lord had spoken to him...” Abraham moved out in faith. He made a good choice because it brought blessings into his life. Plus, it brought the “blessings of Abraham” into our life as his descendants, his spiritual seed that is.

So, bottom line, if we choose against God and His Word, we’re choosing death and cursing because to choose contrary to God’s will is disobedience. It is rebellion wanting it’s own way. If we make the right choices in line with God’s will, it brings us blessings and also blesses those close to us. I must clarify this and say that all sin, being against God, is rebellion and 1 Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry, Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord...”

This says, we need to be very careful about the choices we make. We need to take the time to pray about matters and examine our hearts and desires against the Word of God---asking, seeking and knocking for the right answers before we impulsively plunge ahead in our own will and end up in a lot of trouble we never wanted.

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AVOIDING RESPONSIBLE CHOICE:
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It is amazing that we will stand up and fight for our right to choose concerning what we deem as important issues. While on the other hand, each day, we try every way we can to avoid making choice. We want something or someone else to relieve us of this burden of choice. For example, if we allow someone to make choice for us, we think we can avoid the responsibility should the choice turn out to be one of devastation. And so we set out to blame the other person for things going wrong in our lives. It’s something or someone else’s fault, not our‘s. To believe we are free from the responsibility is to deceive ourselves. Romans 14:12 says, “So then, every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

Isn’t this a little crazy? We will fight someone who tries to take away our right to choose, but yet, we’re angry if we’re made to choose and be responsible for that choice. Some people become real passive about making choices. And then there are those with the commitment of perfectionism, meaning, their choices have to be perfect in order to measure up to other people’s opinions of them and gain their approval. Neither of these is responsible. They are extreme because there is no such thing as perfect choice that any of us can make. And if you choose not to make choice but let someone else make it for you while you remain passive, you’ve still made a choice. Won’t that whirl your “Beanie” around on your head?

The opposite of making responsible choices us to make irresponsible choices. To be irresponsible is to be impulsive. How many of us have made impulsive choices that backfired and rose up to bite us in undesirable consequences? I don’t even want to count the many times I’ve made impulsive choices and things turned into a mush-mess. But through the years, God has taught me to use more self-control and wait and ask what He thinks and has to say about a matter. Now, that's a novel idea to a lot of Christian’s, I know. It was to me. Still is at times.

We’ve been used to rushing headlong into this and that just like a wild racehorse with no rider on his back to guide him. That's a picture of a lot Christians, out of control and heading for destruction without the precious Holy Spirit to lead and keep us on track with God’s plan for our life. Then, there are those who spend an excess amount of energy procrastinating in making important choices. They’re going to get around to it but not right now. Procrastination is disobedience in slow motion.

The Holy Spirit may tell you to make a call to a discouraged friend who needs ministering to. Or, He may want you to drop everything and go across town to the bus station because He has someone there He wants to touch and you’re the vessel He wants to use. But the devil will come along to try and get you to disobey your Father God by telling you to, ’do it later, you’re too busy right now.’

Of course, this appeals to your flesh, which says in agreement, ‘yeah; I don’t FEEL like it right now. I don’t FEEL like doing anything. I’ll get to it later.’ God says, “Now, is the day of salvation...” Plus, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for...” We serve a NOW God, and we battle a LATER devil.

Somebody says, “Yeah, but I thought God wants us to wait on Him?” That's true, He does. That's why He said, pray first before you go and do anything, seek His counsel first. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). “Those that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength...”

This doesn’t mean you’re to sit down in a lazy-boy recliner and prop your feet up with popcorn, soda pop and candy by a side table at your elbow? And the remote control to the TV. in hand so you can flip through all the stations while you’re ‘waiting?’ No, don’t get too comfortable. Don’t think you don’t have to do anything except eat, drink and be lulled to sleep by the TV. while you wait for God to send an angel to your front door. And true, He might just do that but most likely, He won’t. At some point or other, we’ve all been here to this place of wanting God to drop everything on us and make it easy so we don’t have to expend any energy and effort. I don’t know about you, but I found out rather quickly, that something was wrong with that picture. Something wasn’t working. It was me. God expected ME to do something.

He expects us to pray and seek Him while we wait for His direction. For it is in that time of intimate communion when you get still that very often, God will whisper the answer to you. He wants us to be involved in praise and worship of Him. Sitting at His feet in simple childlike adoration while we wait in faith upon Him. And in that time of waiting, He wants us to “be still and know that I am God.” To do nothing in the respect that I’m talking about still takes faith. To put ourself forth in effort, this takes a new step of faith. And that's what God is looking for, a people who will dare to step out by choice and use that little grain of mustard seed faith to move mountains of obstacles for themselves and others.

Plain As Day Ministries

Shirley Williams

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