Your Choice or God’s?
Now Think On This
Steve Martin
“You were in a faraway country, but I reached out to you. I called you from that faraway place. I said, 'You are my servant.' I chose you, and I have not rejected you." (Isaiah 41:9, ERV)
Decisions made by the Lord God are not always the decisions we ourselves would have made. And as for me, I certainly am glad of that. He is God and I am not.
Some decisions I have made over these six decades of life weren’t the best, and I had to live with the facts that followed. But those times when I knew I couldn’t make the right choice, and was certainly fearful of making the wrong one; when I sought my Lord to get His plan and purpose…
Life is good when that happens.
We often see the road ahead of us with unclear vision, through blurred eyes. We may have done all the good “homework” we could have, to get as much clear vision as possible, but at times we still lack the confidence that it wasn’t enough. We still have that uncertain feeling. And so we need to lean on and trust the Lord even more, believing He knows what He is doing.
I get that same uneasiness when it comes to this year’s USA political elections. To begin with, it is not about whether I will vote or not. That decision was firmly made when I promised to be a “light on a hill”, both in spirit, soul and body. (Christians who neglect to use this one main arsenal in our fight for the Lord’s purposes, for good, freedom and justice, are simply missing it on this point. Why would you not vote, and then just sit back and say, “God’s will be done.” He made us to be part of His will that is to be done.)
The Lord’s choice to perform His will has not always been the one those surrounding His choice would have made. Let’s look at a few biblical examples.
When Samuel came to anoint the Lord’s anointed, how many of the father’s sons in Bethlehem were brought forth, while he left one out in the sheep’s pasture, tending dumb sheep? I believe the count was seven sons. (In our case, I believe the count was 16 others who came forth to be chosen. They weren’t, while many said, “No way” about the 17th one.) David later proved to be a mighty man of God. Rightfully God’s choice.
A despicable, deplorable, unredeemable Pharasitical named Saul was, beyond all counts at this historical time, quite possibly the chief of sinners among men (as he himself later wrote in I Timothy 1:15.) He himself thought he was doing God’s will by persecuting those who had made a decision to follow Yeshua. For sure he, among the many “righteous”, would not have been elected to turn the Gentile world to serve the Living God of Israel!
But ah ha! He was the Lord’s chosen one to take His Gospel to the nations!
I clearly recall the history written about a prostitute named Rahab, who secretly let the Israelites into the Canaanite town of Jericho, before the walls came tumbling down at His command days later. What would have happened if these warriors, who themselves had been chosen by God, had refused to let this ungodly one be used by their God? You know the answer as well as I do.
And let us recall how our Almighty God had chosen and then anointed to use another unsuspecting one - Cyrus the Persian king, the non-Jew, to do His will concerning His people.
"Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held — to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut:
2. 'I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.
3. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.
4. For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.
5. I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
6. That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other;
7. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.'” (Isaiah 45:1-7, NKJV)
How about our own great 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, who rarely attended church or spoke with a “Christian” mouth, until the last five years of his secular life. He and his policies had been turned down as President by those who were enslaving millions of men, women, and children. Many of those whom believed themselves to be Christians, doing the Father’s will. We know how that turned out, and who really was on God’s side for righteousness and justice.
Who says the Lord can’t take one such as these and use them for the good of His people? Which God do you serve? One Who sits idly by, or One Who acts on behalf of His people?
I heed these words written in the sacred Scriptures:
“You were in a faraway country, but I reached out to you. I called you from that faraway place. I said, 'You are my servant.' I chose you, and I have not rejected you. Don't worry—I am with you. Don't be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong. I will help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory.
Look, some people are angry with you, but they will be ashamed and disgraced. Your enemies will be lost and disappear. You will look for the people who were against you, but you will not be able to find them. Those who fought against you will disappear completely. I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand. I tell you, 'Don't be afraid! I will help you.' People of Israel, descendants of Jacob, you may be weak and worthless, but do not be afraid. I myself will help you."
This is what the Lord himself says. "I am the Holy One of Israel, the one who saves you. "Look, I have made you like a new threshing board with many sharp teeth. You will trample mountains and crush them. You will make the hills like chaff. 16 You will throw them into the air, and the wind will blow them away and scatter them. Then you will be happy in the Lord. You will be proud of the Holy One of Israel.
"The poor and needy look for water, but they cannot find any. Their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer their prayers. I, the God of Israel, will not leave them to die. I will make rivers flow on dry hills. I will make springs of water flow through the valleys. I will change the desert into a lake filled with water. There will be springs of water in that dry land. I will make trees grow in the desert. There will be cedar, acacias, olive trees, cypress, fir trees, and pines.
I will do this so that people will see it and know who did it. They will notice what happened. Then they will understand that the Lord's hand made it happen, that the Holy One of Israel created it all." (Isa 41:9-2, ERV)
Let it be done, Lord. May Your choice be placed in the position You have called them to, for our sake, and for the sake of Your people Israel.
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People, Inc.
P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve
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Now Think On This - In the Year of our Lord 10.16.16 - #266 –“Your Choice or God’s?” – Sunday 3:05 pm
All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This
Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve
