“The Choice Is Yours”

I hope you realize that what I write about here is not new.  It may be “news” to some, but the words and thoughts expressed are truly older than the hills. Putting them together is mine, and sometimes they ramble after “rabbit trails” instead of going in straight paths to a central thought. Other people take some of that old news, take time to organize and publish it, and I appreciate their time and effort. I often mention them here – as I am Terrie Chappell’s book.

I subscribe to a couple of Kindle discount lists, Pixel of Inc. and Book Bub. When I say “discount,” I really mean FREE. I’ve mentioned this before, and will probably do it again – you don’t need a Kindle, just the Kindle app – which runs on PCs smartphones. That’s where I picked up this book.  Today, it’s not free, but I still recommend it.

I saw several of the books and a teacher’s guide at my daughter’s when I left her mail. She hadn’t mentioned what the new series would be in her Sunday School class, but I’m so tempted now to audit that class just to cover this book completely.

I haven’t finished it – but it’s so good to pick up and read! I’ve been writing a blog for years and the main theme (oh, I hope that’s understood!) has been that having a relationship with God is a choice.

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; (Joshua 24:14-16 KJV)

I chose to pick up this book because I want to be able to show the choices to others. I want to learn to better define the choice – though the Bible does it so well – we make, and consider the consequences.

Every biblical example I’ve cited has shown a choice. The Bible is not full of the correct choices. Some of the verses show horrible choices made, but the consequences of those bad choices are evident. Some of the decisions do not show consequences for generations, so it is very important that we not only choose, but that we teach, as we’ve been instructed:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)

Trust me, every single day we are teaching someone simply through our choices. The last couple of days I’ve written on “Do as I say, not as I do.” Are we “doing” the right choice? I need to consider that daily, don’t I? Life is full of choices – make the most important one last forever.