Choices

When you get down to it . . . life is a series of choices.  You might say that the Red Sea divides our choices.  I often think of the place that the people of God found themselves in when they exited Egypt.  The great Exodus of all the people, who had been in slavery for hundreds of years was a massive undertaking.  A slave, especially someone born into slavery, has not had an opportunity to learn how to make choices . . . they needed to learn how to make good choices. 

 

How do we learn  to make good choices? 

Learning requires action.

 

So,  the people of God began the learning process when they  faced what seemed to be a lose-lose choice. Their oppressors, the Egyptians, realized their economy would crash without the slaves and went after them.  It wasn’t long before the people looked back and saw the dust rising from all of Egypt’s army chasing after them.  They turned their heads to see the Red Sea before them.  A choice had to be made.

 

How do you make a choice when both directions seem to lead to a problem?

We have all been there.  Nothing seems to be left.  Life seems to come to a stop. A dead-end.  

 

The thing is . . . God is the God of more.  He is has a plan and promises to make a way through the most difficult times:  But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. Exodus 14:13

 

In other words, Moses told the people to choose faith rather than the fear.  History was changed because of their choice . . . the choice of faith.  God opened the Red Sea. Even so . . . when it was time to enter into the land God had promised . . .  the people chose fear.  Fear led to a disconnect with the plan of God.  Forty years later the people made the choice of faith.

So, God asked Joshua to circumcise the men as an outward sign of an-active-ongoing-engaged relationship with him:  At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time." Joshua 5:3 So Joshua made himself flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. Joshua 5:4

 

Choices . . . the way we live . . . is our outward sign of whether or not we are in an-active-ongoing-engaged relationship with God.

 Make the choice of faith rather than fear.

Align your words and actions with the choice of faith.

 

Be ready for more than what you can imagine . .. the Red Sea will open . . . when you go where God says to go.

 

Learning with you to KICK START the day  with the choice of faith.

Pastor Kerrie

 

(written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)
interactstudies/ ~ kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnville, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~Archives & Daily Subscription: go to http://kickstarttoday.blogspot.com/