The Gift of Choice

I’ll never cease to be amazed at the God I serve. This God is the creator of everything that exists. He created it all merely by the word of His mouth. He hung the stars in space and placed the planets in orbit. In the heavens He’s pitched a tent for the sun (Psalm 19:4). His understanding has no limit, and His ways are far higher than our ways. He measured the waters of the earth in the hollow of His hand, and with the breadth of his hand He marked off the heavens (Isaiah 40:12-13). The mountains melt like wax at His presence (Psalm 97:5)!

The amazing thing is that this magnificent God created man in His own image and then gave man the ability to either choose Him or reject Him! This makes us different from any of God’s creation. God meant for us to be in relationship with Him and to get to know His nature and His love for us. The Word tells us that He already chose us before the creation of the world. And yet, He gave us a unique gift, the gift of choice.

This has been rather unsettling for me at times to understand. I have two children who are both young adults. For most of their life my husband and I have been able to love them, nurture them and gently shaped their outlook on life, by training them up in the way they should go. We gave them opportunity to practise making choices and mistakes within the safe environment of our home.

As they’ve grown and matured we had to release them to enjoy for themselves certain life experiences as adults. It’s been scary at times as we watched them facing life choices that will affect their future, and especially when these choices seemed unwise from our perspective. The greatest lesson for me has been to truly trust God with the bigger picture. We see only in part, whereas He sees the end from the beginning, and nothing catches Him by surprise.

God’s a perfect Father to His children. He doesn’t manipulate our choices and control each step we take. Instead He loves us and draws us to Himself with compassion and grace, and shows unending mercy when we fail to choose wisely. He knows each of us by name and He knows best how to get our attention when we veer off His path. He’s so gracious and kind, and His kindness and love inspires and encourages us to choose His ways over our own ways and those of the world. What a wonderful and gracious gift God given us – the gift of choice!

Prayer: Lord, You’re so amazing and gracious towards us as Your children! Thank You so much for the gift of choice. Help us to use this wonderful gift wisely and to believe that Your ways are always kind and just, drawing us towards Your love. Amen.