Friday, June 7, 2024
Make Good Choices
It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. (Hebrews 11:24-25 NLT)
We all make countless choices every day, from what to have for lunch to which channel to watch on television. Those aren’t important choices for the most part. Then there are very important choices in life, like the person you will marry. And there are daily choices like starting your day with the Word of God instead of social media.
Moses chose not to do one thing and instead chose to do another. Hebrews 11:24-25 says, “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin” (NLT).
Notice the phrase “the fleeting pleasures of sin.” Yes, there is pleasure in sin. Otherwise, why would we do it? But it is a short-lived pleasure, and it can be a pleasure that leads to a horrible ending.
It can be very exciting to break the rules and do what you want to do. You can have those momentary pleasures. But then the problems will follow. That is why we want to make the right choices.
Joshua stood before the people of Israel and said, “Choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15 NLT).
Elijah stood on Mount Carmel and spoke to the vacillating, fickle people of Israel, saying, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” (1 Kings 18:21 NLT).
Moses made a choice, and he chose difficulty over ease. But God’s worst is better than the world’s best. And what is God’s worst? Persecution, rejection, mockery, and things of that nature. What, then, is the world’s best? A few short-lived pleasures.
Now let’s talk about God’s best, which is peace, purpose, meaning in this life, a relationship and friendship with God Himself, and the guaranteed assurance of Heaven beyond the grave. And what is the world’s worst? Misery, guilt, emptiness, and a future of judgment in Hell.
The Bible tells us that if we want to be happy, there are some things we should choose not to do, and there are other things we should choose to do instead. Psalm 1 says, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night” (verses 1–2 nlt).
And the most important choice you ever will make is whether to reject Jesus Christ or say yes to Him and follow Him. Ultimately, we all will stand before God and be held accountable for our lives. And it’s going to come down to this: What did we do with Jesus Christ?
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