November 22nd, 2022 – 1:24pm – Haifa Hostel, Haifa, Israel:

God wants me to talk about choice today. And so I choose to sit and worries although I do not know what to write but I choose to sit down and ask God to speak through me His words as He wants them written. The power to write is a gift He has given to me but not to be used on my own or for my own self-interest but to be used as a tool to express His words to those who have ears to hear what His Spirit would say.

Choice. Since I was a kid I have understood the power of choice. Where did I learn about this? From Him. Every time He speaks to me there is the aspect and elements of choice within His words. And with them I am given and understand my ability to choose. I can choose to believe Him or doubt Him. I can choose to obey Him or disobey Him. I can choose my own way or trust that His way is best.

Yes for many, many years I exercised my choice to satisfy my own self ways… and still yet I make choices each day that are selfish and self motivated. Choice still belongs to me… but when I choose to surrender it to Him, that’s when He can do what He always does and uses my obedience for His glory and for the advancement of His kingdom on the earth.

So many times over these past years has He asked me to do something that I did not know why or understand what would be the outcome but I chose to trust Him and was not put to shame.

If we surrender our choice to Him He will take our lives and lead us down the paths that transform us into who He meant for us to be. One choice for Him at a time… one day at a time.

I am thankful for my ability to say yes or no. On a personal level in my relationship with God, I love that He asks me to do things. He does not command me to do anything… but asks. And in His asking is the freedom for me to say yes to Him or no. I love this choice so much. It deepens my love for Him… that He would give me choice and allow me to exercise that in service to Him.

As I’ve walked with Him I’ve discovered more and more that my choice is important and it matters in all things. I choose to sin or to not sin. I choose to give or to not give. I choose to go or to not go.

When I choose a path that is not His will then He gently disciplines me. Sometimes it’s a mild discipline and sometimes it’s harsh… but always His disciple is in love.

And when He disciplines me I love Him for it. I love the boundaries He sets for me when He sets them. I love His guidance and encouragement as I move along the path He has laid out for me. I never feel less-than with Him but always enough because He fills all my weaknesses with His strength. When I’ve tested His love He has always been faithful to show Himself faithful. He has never once not provided exactly what I needed to live.

Jesus was very right that if we want to enter the kingdom of God we have to be like little children and allow God to Father us daily in His ways.

I want to make Him proud of me. That is my own self still striving because the truth is He is already pleased with me. I belong to Him and He has claimed me as His own and in this I find my security and safety. Every difficulty I face isn’t any real difficulty because I know He is with me to strengthen me and see me through every difficult trial. Suffering comes as it must but He is there to help me gain from it every single time.

He has called me into solitude countless times and each time I learn more about Him and our relationship deepens. And it’s from these times of solitude that I emerge a new person, stronger in my confidence in who I am in Him. He has taught me day by day all I need to face the next thing He has for me to face. This is Who He Is. My Father and my friend.

Why? Choice. God will not force anyone to come to Him. He is waiting with open arms for you to come to Him and then He moves with all the power of Heaven to strengthen those who’s hearts are fully His.

So I give you this gift, this prayer to pray aloud or in your spirit to Him…

Father, I thank you that you always hear me. I thank you that I am your child and I thank you for the gift of choice. Please forgive me for when I have selfishly used my free will to go my own way. Please forgive me and help me learn your ways and to walk in them with you. I ask that you open my heart and mind to the reality of a relationship with you. Speak to me in all the ways that I can hear. Open my ears and let me hear you speaking so that I can confidently walk forward down the path you have planned for my life to bring me home to you. Thank you again! In Jesus name I pray, Amen!