Based on “Make the Right Choice” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 5/3-4/08,
Message #2443; Daily Devotional #1 - “Now Choose Life!”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. (Hebrews 11:25) A few years ago, when my granddaughter was around six years old, her parents took her to a Christmas event held in their town. At the close of the festivities, all the children were invited to file past a huge crate filled with small stuffed animals and choose one. What was meant to bring joy and delight became torment and misery for this dear child and her parents. You see, the poor baby couldn’t decide. She looked at all the possibilities in that box and had no idea which choice would be best. She was convinced that choosing anything but the best would be some sort of failure. Panic seized her heart for fear that she might somehow make a wrong decision. She picked up a kitty, put it back and then grabbed a bunny. That didn’t seem quite right either, so she chose a bear, but tossed it back. By then the children waiting behind her were pushing her forward to get their chance at a toy, and her parents were coaxing her away to make room for the others. This brought pressure and made the decision even more difficult. By the time she reached the end of the box she was forced to walk away with the last toy in the final corner of the box. She cried all the way home that she should have chosen something else. It was a hard lesson about making choices and the inevitable consequences.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Moses had a decision to make. It was a tough choice with everlasting consequences. He had a whole world full of options set before him instead of a box of trinkets. Unlike my granddaughter, however, he had plenty of time to look over every option, weigh its merits and study the possible results of that choice. No other Israelite was in a position to learn first hand the names of Egypt’s gods and what they were purported to do. No other Israelite could freely partake in all that the greatest country in the world of that day had to offer. He could taste its sweets and enjoy its pleasures. He was given an education, and, beyond that, he was able to observe the affluent Egyptians as they lived their lives of luxury and the satisfaction or lack that resulted. No one else was able to simultaneously observe the struggling Hebrews, their faith in their God, and the life and hope that faith gave them even in the midst of extreme suffering. God gave him forty years to make that decision. It was a tough choice, but what he learned caused him to choose to serve a King rather than be one, find friendship with lowly slaves instead of impressing the rich and famous, and to accept mistreatment over enjoyment.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Just like Moses, making the right choices will change your life and guide all future decisions that come along. You have the same decisions to make that he had:
- Identify with God
- Identify with His people
- Enjoy God instead of the pleasures of sin
- Follow Jesus now because of the future rewards promised in the Word
Moses chose life and put aside all other choices as worthless. Have you made that choice? If not, why not do it now? It’s not hard to make choices when you know what your values are. When we have made the choice to live as a Christ Follower, it’s not hard to refuse the things that tempt us to go in any other direction.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15
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Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.
New King James Version = NKJV, King James Version = KJV.