Hi how are you all today? I am well. The weather in my town is getting cooler which is nice. Cooler weather helps me to sleep better at night. What do you like about cooler weather?
This week I want to look at choose requires a response. Often when people are asked to choose between one thing or another, a response is required. You can choose chocolate cake or vanilla cake. If you respond, chocolate you will get that kind of cake. If you don’t respond at all, you will likely get neither. The person asking and the person responding are usually different.
Why did I say all that? The reason is because of the verse in the Bible in Ephesians 1:4 in the NLT which states:
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
A lot of us look at this verse and decide that if God already chose us, we must be all good and nothing is required on our part. That is not the case.
God chose to make mankind for His very own family. However, it is us that needs to respond to that choice- will we accept that God chose us because of what Jesus did and accept Jesus or not?
The response we give determines our eternal destiny.
I am reminded of the story of Ruth. In particular, the part where Orpah and Ruth had to each make a decision regarding whether to continue with Naomi or not.
Let’s pick the story up in Ruth 1 starting at verse 8:
8-9 After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, “Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me. May God give each of you a new home and a new husband!” She kissed them and they cried openly.
Naomi had made her case clear and has given both girls a choice. Although, they both continued to state that they would go with Naomi, a pivotal point may have changed their minds. That was in verse 11 which states in part:
11-13 But Naomi was firm: “Go back, my dear daughters. Why would you come with me? Do you suppose I still have sons in my womb who can become your future husbands?
If Naomi could not have any more sons, then the girls futures were not assured. She appealed to them on security grounds. How often does this happen to us?
No we won’t do that God because we don’t have finances, gifting, talent, it’s scary and we end up making a wrong choice.
Verse 24 tells of the girls decisions.
Again they cried openly. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye; but Ruth embraced her and held on
Orpah went back to her familiarity and we never hear from her again. Ruth chose unfamiliar and is in the linage of Jesus.
Ruth had no idea that the response she gave to the choice would not only impact her future but the generations to come. Her story is still impacting our lives today.
We are offered choices not only as we read our Bible and listen to Gods voice but also in our every day life. Are we going to respond with yes God or are we going to respond no or not respond at all. Remember not responding means we get nothing of what is offered.
So how are you going to respond to the choice God is asking you to make today? I pray you will respond right but also with wisdom.
Bless you and keep living the life God intended for you.
Karen
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