My Weblog: The Gospel Preacher.

In Joshua 24:15, it is written, "15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, ^achoose you this day whom you will serve; whether ^bthe gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the ¹flood, or ^cthe gods of the Am´-or-ites, in whose land ye dwell: ^dbut as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. " A key word in this verse of Scripture is the word " ^achoose ." God created the human race ( see Genesis, chapter 1 ( especially verses 26-28, for example ); chapter 2; and 1 Corinthians 15:45, for example ) with the ability to make choices.

What types of decisions are we making? Our decisions are affected by our thought processes. In Genesis 3:6 ( and please read all of this chapter to get the immediate context ), it is written, "6 And when the woman ^asaw that the tree was good for food, and that it was ¹pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, ^band did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. " Adam and Eve ( see Genesis 3:20, for example ) chose to disobey God.

The serpent tempted Adam and Eve, but they did not have to succumb to it. James, the half-brother of Jesus ( see James 1:1 ), wrote in 4:7, "7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. ^aResist the devil, and he will flee from you. " God has instructed us in righteousness concerning how to deal with the devil. We must strive ( see Ecclesiastes 9:10, for example ) to always resist him.

As children of God, we must never expect to live on this earth without ever being tested by God, for in Jeremiah 20:12, it is written, "12 But, O LORD of hosts, that ^atriest¹ the righteous, and seest the ²reigns and the heart, ^blet me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I ³opened my cause. " God tries or tests the righteous. In James 1:12, it is written, "12 ^aBlessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he ¹is tried, he shall receive ^bthe crown of life, ^cwhich the Lord hath promised to them that love him. "

In Job 2:7 ( and please read all of chapters one and two, to get the immediate context ), it is written, "7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and ¹smote Job with sore boils ^afrom the sole of his foot unto his crown. " In spite of the suffering that Job experienced up to this point, he maintained his integrity. How would we fare under such circumsances? In Proverbs 24:10, it is written, "10 If thou ^afaint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. "

Each of us has a choice to make in this life. Who are we going to serve? The Bible teaches that everyone is a slave. Those of us who are Christians, members of the church of Christ, are slaves of God and of Christ: everyone else is a slave of Satan.

Today is the day of decision. In Psalm 146:4 ( GW ), it is written, " ⁴ When they breathe their last breath, they return to the ground. On that day their plans come to an end. " The Master, therefore, sums up life as the opportunity to make plans. What plans are we making? Are we planning to serve the LORD?