God gives us freewill, a freedom to decide if we want to serve Him. This freewill is what causes us to hurt others and to be hurt. God created us. He wants us to choose Him. But He doesn’t force us. Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Jesus is waiting on us to open the door. He doesn’t force it open, and He doesn’t force Himself on us. He gave His all for us, but still, He doesn’t command that we choose to live for Him. He also doesn’t make us feel guilty or shame us into living for Him. But he does tell us the consequences of our choices.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20;15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. 17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. 19 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: 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Deuteronomy 28 lists the consequences of our choices. Verses 1 – 14 list the blessings of God, if we choose Him and walk in His ways. However, the next 53 verses proclaim the curses when we don’t choose His ways.
God has set before us the choice to obey or disobey. Walking with Jesus is not always an easy road to take, but from personal experience I can tell you the blessings, the peace in the midst of heartache and tough times make choosing to follow Jesus worth it. While many have chosen to walk away when trials come, or the pleasures of this world entice them, in the end, we will all stand before Him and give an account for our “freewill”.
Romans 14:12; 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Matthew 7:13-14 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Choose you this day who you will serve.
