THE GIFT OF CHOICE

In Joshua 24:15, we read: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the god of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The three children watched intensely as the teacher placed the cups on the beautiful silver tray. Three cups. A delicate white china cup and saucer decorated with gold, a white mug decorated with blue flowers and a battered tin cup. She held each one up for the children to see the outside. Then she poured clean water from a crystal pitcher into each cup.

“Now. I want each of you to choose your cup.”

First choice by each child was the china cup and saucer. Second choice, the mug with blue flowers. Last choice, the battered tin cup.

“Look,” the teacher said, as she held the cup and saucer low for the children to see. Yes, the outside was beautiful but inside? Mud covered the bottom of the cup as dirt absorbed the clean water. She held the blue-flowered mug for them to see. Coffee grounds tainted the water. Then she held the battered tin cup, filled with sparkling clean water. The last choice became first.

Choice is a way of life. When I don’t choose to accomplish a task, I have made a choice. For many years in my life, I played the “buffet” game, choosing the part of the Christian life that proved comfortable to me--church attendance, Bible reading, etc. All good things but done for the wrong reasons. Didn’t work out very well, my selfish “I” being on the throne. Most of all I created a state of misery when I had thought myself so wise.

Then the Lord Jesus came. In that nanosecond, He spotlighted my life. He held the cup down low so  I could see inside. Not a pretty sight, I can tell you and I had no power to clean it. I looked into His Face and saw His everlasting love--for me, one most unworthy. Then He cleaned my cup so that He could fill me with Living Water, His gift. My choice. Now I belong to Him.

Kingdom Thinking. In this journey of life, we are constantly confronted with choices. But the most important choice for now and eternity is to choose the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy and able to be your lord. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He loves you. Won’t you come to Him?