Choose ye this day …

“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.” Joshua 24:15.

Life involves many choices, for God has created man with the ability to make choices. He has the ability to reason so that he can see beyond the present moment and get an idea of what the consequences of his actions will lead to. There are often two voices calling to us, the voice of God, through the working of the Holy Spirit and a voice that is contrary to the will of God. For many – to choose the Lord’s way appears difficult and tedious. We are not promised an easy road. It is a strait gate that we must enter and a narrow road that we must travel if we are to reach the goal of eternity. If we seek to know the will of God and listen to His voice He will reveal to us the way to go and we must then choose to travel the way He has laid open before us.

Unfortunately in this day and age few people want to hear God’s voice anymore. They invent many methods in order to block God out of their lives. Some turn to worldly entertainments, TV, worldly music, the theatre, parties and other places of social entertainment where the angels refuse to tread. In these places you will not hear God’s voice speaking to you, but this is what many of these people want.

Others make themselves extremely busy so that they don’t have time to find out what God is asking of them. They work from morning until night, j ust dropping to bed at a late hour from sheer exhaustion. Still others will create false theories that are contrary to Biblical truth, believing and teaching them as fact, such as the Evolutionary Theory with the Big Bang that created the earth and the universe. They want to block God out of the picture. Others will follow these fables taught by modern day scientists – the “wise” men of the earth so they don’t have to believe in God either. While still others turn to drugs and alcohol numbing their brains, giving them a false view of reality.

Why do people invent ways to block God out of their lives? One reason is that they don’t like the sound of their conscience rebuking them when they give into, and indulge, their darling sins. And a second reason is fear. They are afraid of what God may ask them to do. He will most certainly ask them to give up their sinful habits – which they feel will lead to a very boring life (although they are greatly mistaken).

But God may also ask them to perform a certain duty or send them on a mission that they don’t want to go on. Christians sometimes also seek for ways to ignore the voice of God. They claim to serve the Lord because they fear of burning in hell fire, but when God calls them to duty they choose not to obey, rather going their own way.

TO FOLLOW THE LORD OR NOT?

Some have a life-long struggle as to whether they should serve God or not. They love the world and it is so hard to separate from the world. Some even may have become church members because they realize that this is the only way to salvation, but they are still having a secret love of the world.

Eventually their secret sins will be revealed and they will have to choose one way or the other. The Lord will not leave people in the valley of decision forever.

Joshua chose to follow the Lord. He mentioned to Israel in his final message to the nation that the choice belongs to the individual (Joshua 24:15 – quoted above). The command to serve the Lord involves a choice. “Any service that is not voluntary is useless.

God sets before men life and death and urges them to choose life, but He does not interfere with their contrary choice, nor does He protect them from its natural results. Joshua resolved to follow the Lord despite what others did. Sometimes the choice to follow God becomes a singular act. . . those who are bound for heaven must be willing, despite all opposition, to do as the best do and not as the most do.

Joshua had been remarkably true to God all his life. He was resolved to remain faithful to the last. His last appeal was for the people to follow his example of consecration, and the dignity and simplicity of his life added powerfully to the weight of his words.” 2BC, p. 296.3

Job’s friend encourages us to choose the good. “Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.” Job 34:4.

Elihu here wants to discover the real truth from among all the conflicting opinions that have been spoken about among his friends. In the end the Lord reveals the truth to them.

THE LORD CHOOSES US FOR SALVATION.

The Lord chooses all of us to be saved…” For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. . . . God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:6,8.

The Lord wants everyone to be saved “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: Wherefore turn yourselves and live ye.” Ezk. 18:32. When we fall or make a misstep He is there to pick us up and set us on our way again. “For the just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” Pro. 24:16. Israel fell many times but when they turned back to the Lord, He was there for them. “Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;
My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.” Zech. 1:17. “And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.”

Zech. 2:12. The Lord has great patience and comes to us over and over again. Yet there is a limit to the mercy of God, and my prayer is that none of us have crossed that line yet.

WE MUST CHOOSE LIFE

The Father in Heaven in conjunction with Jesus made a choice. The first choice they made for mankind was to put into operation the plan of salvation. What will we choose in return?

“God has made one great condescension to save erring, lost man; “He yielded His dearly Beloved from His bosom to suffer indignity, scorn, and hate, to die an ignominious death upon the cross. If anyone will be His disciple now, he must live a selfdenying life. His will must die. The Plan of Salvation is laid. Now man must condescend, now man must yield. His life must be a continual yielding.

God does not deviate or change from His plan at all to save any. The great condescension has been made. Now it all lies with man, whether he will accept the plan God has laid down, whether he will yield his will to the will of God. God does not change now to accommodate man. He is left now to choose life or death. If he chooses life, he chooses the cross, the suffering, self-denying life of Christ, and he must not go murmuring along at the ruggedness of the way.” 21MR, p. 253.

Does this mean that the way of the Christian is beset with only sorrow and sadness? Even though the way is rugged, the road is narrow and steep, the Lord has promised to be with us and we can have peace and joy by keeping our eyes fixed upon the goal. It is not an initiation process that we are put through before being granted eternal life. It is dying to self. Sin is a deadly poison and it takes a lot of purging to get rid of it. The longer it has remained in the body, the more difficult it is to cleanse the soul temple.

God is willing to change man instantaneously, the delay falls upon us. “Can we not understand that the most costly thing in the world is sin? It is at the expense of purity of conscience, at the cost of losing the favour of God and separating the soul from Him and at last losing heaven. The sign of grieving the Holy Spirit of God and walking contrary to Him has cost many a one the loss of his soul.” FW, p. 17.

“God would not compel any to be saved. Jesus has made the great sacrifice, and if any man will freely, gladly accept it: if he will choose life, he can have it. But his life must be one of continual yielding.” SG, Vol. 2, p.

278. Jesus wants heaven to be a happy place again and the only way for this to be possible is to bring people to heaven that have put sin out of their lives. It is a difficult struggle to get rid of the old sinful nature and live a new life in Christ, but the struggle is worth it when we see the end result. There will be no sin in heaven.

“The path of life is beset with perils. .. A constant battle must be kept up with the selfishness and corruption of the human heart. Often the wicked seem to be prospered in their way; but those who forget God, even for an hour or a moment, are in a dangerous path. They may not realize its perils, but ere they are aware, habit, like an iron band, holds them in subjection to the evil with which they have tampered. God despises their course, and unless they turn from their evil ways, His blessing cannot attend them. Life and death are set before every worker, and the strongest motives are presented to induce them to choose life by obedience to God’s law.” MC, p. 59.

SPIRITUAL CHOICES WITHIN THE CHURCH.

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16. Jesus chose 12 disciples while on this earth. While all may choose to follow Christ, it is He who chooses and qualifies men to occupy positions of responsibility and leadership. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. . . But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will, . . And God hath
set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” 1 Cor. 12:7,11,28.

The Lord chooses some for leaders, ministers, canvassers and other offices for which He has given talents. It is our duty to ask the Lord what He would have us to do and then to not hesitate to perform that which is asked of us. We must never become negligent of our duties nor should we try to do duties that are someone else’s. We may not have the talent for someone else’s job.

“But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.” Phil. 1:22. Here Paul is faced with a dilemma. He knows what he wants. He would like to have his life come to an end and to rest from his labours until Jesus returns, but on the other hand he knows that the believers in the church may need his counsel and encouragement. What is best? Sometimes we are honestly and sincerely following the Lord and we are perplexed as to which choice the Lord wants us to make. First of all we must know how to listen to the voice of God and secondly must be willing to do what God asks. Are not Christians often in this dilemma, as Paul was, that if it were left to themselves they would not know which to choose, life or death? But God, who knows the end from the beginning leads, as we would choose to be led if we could see as He sees. Therefore we must seek to do what God wants us to do, and not what we may want to do. We must pray as did Jesus, “Not my will, but thine be done.”

All throughout His life on earth, Jesus sought to do the Father’s will, not His own. “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38.

DIFFICULT TASKS

Sometimes the Lord gives us tasks that seem daunting. We feel as though there is no way we can accomplish them and ask, “Are you sure God?” I am sure Abraham felt this way when he was asked to leave his family and friends behind in Ur and go to this strange new country and also when asked to sacrifice his son. Yet, he never swerved from his duty, as difficult as it was. The Lord chose Abraham for a special work. He separated Abraham from his kindred and friends in order to preserve the truth in his life and family.

“Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees and gavest him the name of Abraham.” Neh.9:7

Sister White often felt overwhelmed in the beginning of her ministry and she asked that this responsibility be taken away and given to another. It was not done, and the Lord sustained her.

Both Jeremiah and Moses did not feel equal to the task the Lord had put before them. Jeremiah pointed out that he was just a child and there was no way anyone would listen to him.

Moses reminded God that he had not been in Egypt for 40 years and had forgotten much of the language. They weren’t telling God anything He didn’t already know and He still chose to send these men, and they went obediently, trusting God to be with them. We must have the desire to do God’s will as Isaiah did. When the Lord told him of the work that needed to be done, Isaiah simply answered, “Here am I, send me.” Isa.6:8.

God has chosen us for something, what is it? As difficult as it may seem, we must not hesitate to perform our duty. Jeremiah was told that he was called to be a prophet before he was born.

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jer. 1:5.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed in agony. Three times He asked His Father that if it was possible that this cup be taken away, then please take it – however He finished by saying, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Matthew 26:39.

No more difficult task will ever be given to any human being than was given to Jesus. If you ever feel overwhelmed by the duty you have been asked to do and feel that it is too hard, remember what Jesus went through in Gethsemane. He suffered more than any human being will ever suffer. The beautiful part is that He has been there. He understands and He has promised to be with us until the end of this world’s history. We don’t have to walk alone. It is important then that we always pray, asking for God’s will to be done in our lives, and we must be willing to go where He wants us to go and do what He wants us to do.

God needs minutemen who are willing to go to the ends of the earth for Him, should He ask. There was a prophet in the old testament who came and gave a message to Jeroboam. (1 Kings 13:1- 32) God told him not to eat or drink anything until he had completed his mission and arrived back home again. A false prophet met him on his homeward journey and informed him that the Lord had told him that He had changed His mind, and that the Lord had instructed him to bring this prophet into his house and feed him. The true prophet believed him and what a sad end he had to his life. He was no match for the lion he met the next morning on the road towards his home. He should have done God’s will. If we hear someone telling us something that is exactly the opposite to what God has told us, we had better check to make sure the person is genuine otherwise continue doing what God had told you in the first place.

DIET

Does diet have anything to do in aid of making the right choice? Some feel that it does not matter what you eat as it will not affect your thinking and discernment of good and evil, however this is not true. “Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse evil, and choose the good.” Isaiah 7:15. Yes it most certainly does. When Jesus was on the cross they offered him vinegar on a sponge to drink. This is often given in mercy to the suffering one to
help numb the pain. This also numbs the brain and dulls the senses. Jesus would have nothing of that. He knew that He needed a clear mind at this most crucial time in the Plan of Salvation. He decided to bear the pain and maintain a clear mind. Yes, it is very important to keep a clear mind by eating only the best foods, so that we can clearly discern the way of the Lord and make the right choices.

REFUSING GOD’S WAY

Sometimes Christians will shy away from doing God’s will. They ask in a genuine manner what God would have them to do, but they don’t like the answer they have been given, so therefore they decide it could not have been the voice of God and they go their own way – sometimes with unfortunate consequences. It is often easier to have others make decisions for us rather than for us to make our own, but we must make the choices and decisions for our selves. I am reminded of a young person I knew many years ago who was unsure as to whether he should enter the canvassing field of labour and become a missionary for the Lord. He felt impressed in that direction and inquired of an elderly, faithful person in the church as to whether he should or should not. This person answered the young person by telling him that they can’t make the decision for him. This was a decision between that young person and God. If he was impressed to go, then he must obey that voice as the call of God. This young person wanted someone else to make the decision. Sad to say that this young person did not decide to become a worker for the Lord and today is no longer in the church and almost an Atheist. This person should have done God’s will immediately when he felt the impression.

I have also known ministers and workers who were asked by the church to go to certain places but chose not to. I remember one particular minister who was asked to go to a certain area, but he chose not to go and went to another city instead. Today he is no longer in full time ministry and his family is not faithful to the truth.

Would it have been different if he had chosen to go where he was asked, rather than the city of his own choosing? I am not God, so I cannot say, however I do know that there is a blessing involved if you choose to do God’s will. There have been others who have been asked to go to different places, but have refused, making one kind of excuse or another and now are having difficulties with the church.

How sad to see these things happen. It is very dangerous to choose another way than the way God has asked us to Some are afraid to ask God for fear that they will not like the answer – so they don’t ask, however it is dangerous to go against God’s will. If God has given us a duty to do, He will not leave us alone to struggle on. He has promised to be with us until the end. It is a very serious mistake to choose NOT to do God’s will. Sometimes it seems that God has more mercy than at other times, but He knows the heart of every individual and He will judge righteously. When Jonah was called to go to Nineveh, he didn’t like the mission. He set out to go in the opposite direction. He chose to not do God’s will, however God in His mercy sent a great fish, which spewed Jonah on the land beside Nineveh. He gave Jonah a second chance and so Jonah reluctantly went. He did not want to run from God any more. What a blessed result came from Jonah’s preaching.

Other times if people flatly refuse to do God’s will, His spirit will depart from them and their lives will come to confusion. I am reminded of Hazen Foss and William Foy who lived over 100 years ago. They absolutely refused to give the message to the people that the Lord gave them. Finally the Lord took the message from them and gave it to Ellen Harmon, who was only a 17- year-old frail young girl at that time.

Ellen was at first fearful of preaching the message, but God in His mercy showed her what the consequences would be if she refused. She dared not disobey God and do her own will. She chose to do God’s will and to leave the results in the hands of the Lord. Unfortunately many will clearly refuse until it is too late. “Therefore will I number you with the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.”

Isa. 65:12. There will be a time when some will call on God but He will not answer. The fault does not lie with God, but rather the wrong choice that they have made previously. “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD.” Pro. 1:29. “When they had hearts soft enough to be impressionable, they refused to permit the Spirit of God to work upon them. Now their hearts have become hardened and their characters fixed. Now it is too late. Any simulated repentance is only a desire to escape the dreadful results of their sins. Even if these men were granted another opportunity, it would produce no change. Real forgiveness is not a mere excusing of sin, but a cleansing of the sinner. Without a genuine surrender to the instruction and control of the Holy Spirit and an earnest desire to be changed, no sinner can be saved.”

3BC, p. 951. Many don’t want the knowledge of the Lord because it would interfere with their enjoyment of their sin. It would mean a change in their life, therefore they do what they can to avoid such knowledge. Now they would like to avoid the consequences of their choice, but it is too late.

IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE:

How long will life continue on planet earth? Only God knows, but if we are spiritually awake, we will see the signs of the times fulfilling before our very eyes and we will not be like the Ten Virgins, falling asleep when there is a great need for preparation.

Unfortunately many will wake up and it will be too late.
“Then I saw Jesus lay off his priestly attire, and clothe Himself with His most kingly robes. Upon His head were many crowns, a crown within a crown. Surrounded by the angelic host, He left heaven. The plagues were falling upon the inhabitants of the earth. Some were denouncing God and cursing Him.

Others rushed to the people of God and begged to be taught how they might escape His judgements. But the saints had nothing for them. The last tear for sinners had been shed, the last agonizing prayer offered, the last burden borne, the last warning given.

The sweet voice of mercy was no more to invite them. When the saints, and all heaven, were interested for their salvation, they had no interest for themselves. Life and death had been set before them. Many desired life, but made no effort to obtain it. They did not choose life, and now there was no atoning blood to cleanse the guilty , no compassionate Saviour to plead for them and cry, “Spare, spare the sinner a little longer.” All heaven had united
with Jesus, as they heard the fearful words, “It is done. It is finished.” The plan of salvation had been accomplished, but few had chosen to accept it. And as mercy’s sweet voice died away, fear and horror seized the wicked. With terrible distinctness they heard the words, ‘Too late! Too late!”‘ EW,p. 281.

Yes, “Many desire life, but do not choose it. They love the world, its fashion, its pleasure, and they plainly show they have not chosen eternal life. Their treasure is here. This world is their home. The lives of those who choose life and salvation will be marked with their choice. Their conduct will say plainly that they are seeking a better country, even a heavenly, a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” 7MR,p. 216.

“Even many professed Christians seem to have no earnest desire for this heavenly knowledge, and remain in willing ignorance of this divine grace which it is their privilege to obtain.. . . All can choose life if they will. They can resist sin, take pleasure in the ways of righteousness and true holiness, and be rewarded with eternal life in God’s everlasting kingdom.” SA, p. 79.

“Some Sabbath keepers so earnestly desire to have friendship with the world, that they mangle their feelings and make wretched work of following Christ. They desire the approval of God and the friendship of the world too. Such I saw would certainly lose heaven. They do not enjoy this world, therefore they lose both.. . For a life of humble obedience here, God will grant the rich reward hereafter. He will accept of nothing but entire consecration.” RH, 11-26-61.
And we have to trust the Lord that if we choose to follow Him, whatever He may ask, He will be with us and all will work out for the best. He will lead us in the paths of righteousness. The Lord never leads anyone into error or into false religious movements. “What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.” Psalm 25:12. If we choose to follow the Lord, He will teach us and guide us.

“Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.” Pro. 3:31.
Never let your friends or family members cause you to choose the wrong way. Choose for yourself the way of the Lord and He will bless you. Often those who are in the way of death, may seem to prosper and we are tempted to follow them, however we must never envy them. Think of what lies at the end of the road. And we have to choose today because very soon momentous events will break out on this earth and we do not want to be caught on the wrong side because we delayed our choice. But God does not force us – the choice is ours. Where we end up will be completely dependent on the choice we made. God will help us, but the choice is ours to make.

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Deut. 30:19.

“My brother, my sister, today the Spirit invites you to come to Jesus. .

“Look unto me, and be ye saved,” is God’s gracious invitation. Will you not choose life, eternal life.” RH, 02-15-12

Wendy Eaton