The Decision is Yours!

We make decisions every day about where we’ll go and what we’ll do….or not do. Each one of those decisions not only impacts today but tomorrow and the next day. What I eat today will have an impact on whether I can button my pants tomorrow or the next day. Whether I sleep tonight will determine if I’m at my best tomorrow. Whether I give to someone in need today may have an impact on whether I will have next time the opportunity comes around. Everything we do, comes with consequences – some good, some bad.

At church today during the sermon, the pastor said, the decisions we make today will determine our next chapter in life. As he ministered, I realized how true that is. My decision many years ago to study engineering has led me to where I am today. Did I have any idea this is where I’d end up? Absolutely not, but I had a plan to give whatever position my best and represent the Lord well. He has been faithful and opened doors I never could have opened on my own. His providence has worked throughout my life. What is God’s providence? It’s how He directs things in the universe and moves them around for our good. As Pastor Craig said today, God’s providence is best read like the written Hebrew language – backwards. When I look back over my life, I can see God’s hand all over it.

From the opportunity to go to a really good university (two, actually), to my first job while I was in grad school (which I asked one of my professors for out of the blue) to my first real job to the one I have now. God’s hand has worked through out my life and has led me to places I never would have gone on my own. God’s plans for me have always been to give me a future and a hope (Jer 29:11). Even when I couldn’t see His hand, He was there (Psa 16:8). Even when things didn’t look good or like I thought they should, He was there moving pieces around to bring about His purpose and plan.  

We get to decide every day whether we will live to please Him or not. And choosing not to decide, is a decision. If we’re not following Him, we are separated from Him. There is no middle ground with Him. We either are or we aren’t. And even when we aren’t, His mercy still provides us another chance (Lam 2:22-23) until we take our last breath. Our dilemma is that we don’t know when that will be. We don’t know when we’ll be called away from this place (Matt 24:36) and have to give an account of all our deeds – both good and bad (Rom 14:11-12). That’s why we can’t take time for granted, because we don’t control it and we have no say in it.

It behooves us to get it right with God now. And once we accept Jesus and confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins (1 John 1:9) and then the Lord sees us through the blood of Jesus (Heb 7:27). How awesome is that. God’s grace is sufficient for us (2 Cor 12:9). Once we recognize that life doesn’t just happen to us, we have power to influence it. Yes, bad things happen, but we get to decide how we will work through them. It’s always better with God, we just have to decide to let Him lead instead of thinking we know best – WE DON’T. No matter how smart we are, He's smarter. Decide this day, who you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Josh 24:15). What about you?