CHOICES – CHOOSE WISELY

BIBLE PASSAGE:
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back
from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.
Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you
die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with
me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and
me.”
(Ruth 1:16-17)

MEDITATION:
You may have heard the phrase,
    “We are not born losers, we are born choosers.”
This phrase applies to all of us as we live out our lives each day.
Every day we are faced with choices, and some of these choices
can have the potential of changing our lives forever.

Ruth was someone who faced life changing choices. She had
to make a choice to return to her people with her sister-in-law,
Orpha, or to go with her mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth chose to
go with her mother-in-law.

She had a choice of being identified as a pagan Moabite or to
associate with the people of Israel. She chose the people of Israel.

She had a choice of worshipping the idol Chemosh (which involved
the sacrifice of children), or to put her trust in the living God, (who
gives life instead of taking it). She chose Jehovah.

These were important choices for Ruth and she made determined
choices that changed her life. Just like Ruth, we are all born outside
of God’s family. However, God gives us the opportunity to make a
choice that can give us eternal life.

Instead of living out our life in Satan’s kingdom of darkness,
we can choose to cross over to the kingdom of God’s Son.
    “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
      and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves”
      (Colossians 1:13)

We can choose to continue living in the darkness of sin, or walk
in God’s light. The scriptures tell us to not be associated with
immoral people.
    “Therefore do not be partners with them. For you
      were once darkness, but now you are light in the
      Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the
      light consists in all goodness, righteousness and
      truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.”
      (Ephesians 5:7-10)

We can choose to depend on the world for providing our fulfillment,
or we can place our trust in Jesus, who has promised to meet all our
needs.
    “And my God will meet all your needs
      according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
      (Philippians 4:19)

Ruth had crucial decisions and so do we. Her determined
decisions changed her life, and ours will do the same for us.

Incidentally, some believe that only the ‘elect’ can be saved,
but who are the ‘elect’? “Elect” means to choose, so the elect
should mean the “choosers”. Since we all have an opportunity
to ‘choose’ to walk in darkness, or walk in God’s light, then
the ‘elect’ must mean everyone, right.

Additionally, God’s Word says,
    For God so loved the world that he gave his
    one and only Son, that whoever believes in
    him shall not perish but have eternal life.
    (John 3:16)
“whoever” is an all inclusive word and it means ‘everyone’
has the same opportunity to be saved and spend eternity in
Heaven with the Lord.

ACTION:
What decisions have you made, especially the ones that will
affect your eternal destiny? If you have not made a choice to
walk in the light, then by default you have chosen to walk in
darkness. You either choose God or choose the world, but you
can’t choose both. The choice is yours, but if you choose not to
choose, then you’ve made a choice. This is the most important
choice you’ll ever make so choose wisely – choose God.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your plan of salvation, and
for giving us the opportunity to make a choice of where we will
spend eternity. We know that there will be a time when our earthly
life ends, and Your Word has made it clear that we will step into an
eternity of either torment, or bliss. I choose to spend eternity with
You, and I pray that You will help me live the kind of life now that
proves to me, and shows others that my faith is real and I have chosen
Jesus over the world. Thank You for Your promise to all who believe in,
and follow Your Son, Jesus Christ.”

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