By Bill Tilney

Life was created to live by choice not chance!

Life is composed of our choices and constructed from our words. Where we are today is the result of the choices we made yesterday. God’s Word contains the principles we can base decisions and actions on for every situation and issue in our lives.

Our lives do not have to be confused, haphazard or driven by the wind of change. We have the power of choice and were created to be productive, and successful by choosing correctly.

A wrong choice was the downfall in the Garden of Eden. Taking a bite of the forbidden fruit was evidence that Adam and Eve had made a choice based on the lie of the devil. When you agree with the enemy it gives him power to steal, kill and destroy. Many marriages have been destroyed because someone made a choice to commit adultery. Businesses have been destroyed because an unholy alliance was made and choices were not based on the Word of God. Choices have weight.

The Bible was written to teach us and give us hope. Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (NKJ) Hope is the substance of our faith. (Heb. 11:1) Those who live by the world’s standard find it pretty hopeless.

The Old Testament includes principles for success and failure. Many Kings prospered, but then made wrong choices and their reigns ended badly. Solomon was one of those Kings. He was a great leader, but made the choice to marry women from the nations God had specifically told him not to marry. They turned his heart toward their gods and away from the God of his father, David. His choices cost him his kingdom. “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statues, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant” (I Kings 11:11). The entire nation of Israel suffered because King Solomon made a wrong choice.

We each have the ability to make choices concerning our lives, for good or bad. To live as if "whatever will be, will be," is to buy into a lie of the enemy.

Once we have made a choice, we become a servant of that choice. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16 NKJ).

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” God puts the choices before us, then tells us which to choose for the good of ourselves and our descendants. Our  choices are affect many others.

We don’t need to fall into the trap the children of Israel did. They had success when they obeyed God, but failed when they did not walk in obedience to what He asked of them. “Often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 78:40-41) That is an amazing statement: they limited the Holy One of Israel.

God has chosen to work with men since the Garden of Eden and He has not changed.

As we study the Word of God, we also see that out of His great love for us, He always forgives us of our wrong choices when we ask Him. We have to walk out the consequences of our choices, but God will give us the grace, fill us with His peace, and restore our relationship with Him.

Pastor Bill Tilney serves as Assistant Pastor at Praise Fellowship Church. He is the author of the book, “Fuel for the Fire”, Man’s insecurities are the devil's security.