November 10: Of Choices and Consequences (The Remake)

Ezekiel 21:1-22:31

Hebrews 10:1-18

Psalm 108:1-13

Proverbs 27:12

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty."

- Proverbs 27:12

I paraphrase and preach this verse to my kids: "choices have consequences".  I think I've written about this before, but the message is so important it is well worth repeating.

In today's OT reading, the people reject God's ways.  They walk away.  Now anyone knows you can't stay dry when it's raining if you walk out from under the roof.  The same is true with God.  He loved us enough to give us free will, in the hopes we would exercise it for the good, choosing to be with Him rather than apart from Him.  With Him, we enjoy His grace, His comfort, His provision and protection.  Apart from Him, we are on our own.  Our choice to make, so our consequences to face.  And the consequences before the Israelites are very severe indeed.  

How, then, to make good choices?  Thankfully, not by our own devices.  In the reading from Hebrews, Paul reminds us of how the Holy Spirit works - "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."  To make the choices, then, that keep us under God's roof, we only have to turn to the words He's already given us.  We only have to make ONE good choice - to choose Him.  He then does the rest - guides us, keeps us under His roof.  

Easier said than done, though.  I preach the verse to my kids, as I said…but very often I still could use a good dose of it myself.  

Father, help us all to make the only good choice  that counts, from which everything else follows.  Give us the grace, the faith, and the good sense to choose You.  Then allow us to stay under the roof of Your protection and provision.