Children’s Decisions and God’s Protection

Daniel 1-3 Today, our children are bombarded with the enormity of decisions. As it is true today, it was in Daniel’s time. Our arch-enemy seeks their souls, but God’s ways are not our ways, they are higher and superior. [Is 55:8-9]

Century after century, God has sent His prophets and men to speak to His children about being obedient to Him and the Law. Yet, the Jews have continued to be disobedient to the Lord, and thus He has brought out what the prophets have said, You will go into exile. God raised up King Nebuchadnezzar, who, like many despots, wanted the riches his men had been shown by King Hezekiah, and he also wanted the brightest and most easy to sway intellectually and spiritually. What he was not aware of was the impact that the word of God had had on the minds and actions of four young men, as we shall see. We have no idea the teaching or examples they had had in Israel, but we do know this principle: We are to raise our children so that if confronted with the ways of our arch-enemy, they will choose God’s way. Prov 22:6 tells us to train our children in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not turn from it. Daniel and his three friends proved this principle when confronted with choosing the royal delicacies and wine.

Will our children make the right choices or not? Will we train our children for such a time as this? Will we pray for God to place a hedge of protection over them for when we are not with them?

Over and over, I pray Zechariah 2:5 over my grandchild: ‘I will be a wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem and the source of glory in her midst.’” If God can do that for his most precious city, can He not do that for our children? 

Sin and Holiness cannot co-exist!

Numbers 33 God desires a holy people. As Israel’s people near the end of their wilderness wandering, Moses takes them aside to remind them to purge the land of the idolaters and their idols. “Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images, and demolish their high places.”[Num 33:52]Then God gave them a warning: “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living.” Further: if you do not do what I intended to do to them, I will do it to you. [Num 33:55,56]

Yes, when we do not purge the idols in our lives, they become irritants, a constant reminder of our unwillingness to get rid of sin. Paul reminded the Ephesians to imitate God, not the other way around. We must be holy people because God is holy. Psalm 1 reminds us of how to test ourselves. Do we walk in the ways of the ungodly? Do we stand in the way of sinners? Do we sit in the seat of the scoffers? Practically, what does that mean? We must choose our associations, the places we visit, and our companions.

What choices are before us today?

God Gives Us Choices

God gives us choices

2Sam 9-12 Pay close attention to these stories God has placed here for us as He gives us choices by placing circumstances by which we will choose His way or our way.

King David sought to honor his oath to Jonathan by providing for his family after his death. Thus, David locates Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth who is handicapped, and provides a safe place for him in the palace. In addition, David honors Jonathan by retrieving Saul’s land; placing Ziba over it to plant and harvest.

But, also, David finds that no matter what you do, whether good or evil, the enemy will seek to humiliate you. This came about when David sought to honor Hanun, the son of the Ammonite king who had passed on. The Ammonites didn’t see good but evil and humiliated his men by shaving off their beards. David could have retaliated but he forgave.

Then the story of David and Bathsheba is always troubling and reminds us of that verse in Num. 32:23. You may try to hide your sin from God, but He will reveal it one way or another. Although sin can be forgiven, the consequences are ever before us.

God places these chapters here for us to challenge us about making choices. Do we honor oaths? Do we retaliate when humiliated?  Do we choose to be like Moses, who chose NOT to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasures, [Heb 11:25] or choose to be like David, whose choice of adultery led to squandering his kingdom?

One Door, One Decision

Jermiah 21 decision2a

Jeremiah 21:8  The phrase great minds think alike is often used when one or another come up with the same thought. Moses, Joshua, Elijah and Jeremiah thought alike, talked alike, and wrote alike in many ways. Listen to their words:

Jeremiah: ‘I will give you a choice between two courses of action. One will result in life; the other will result in death.[Jer 21]

Moses: Today I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life. [Deut 30]

Joshua: Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve [Josh 24]

Elijah: How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if  Baal, follow him. [1Kings 18]

The people were at a crossroads. They could choose God’s way or the world’s way. Moses said: It is in your mouth and in your mind so that you can do it. [Deut 30:14]

But men do not like rules; they can delay or choose their own way. Jesus said; For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

Choose God and life or Baal and death. What will you choose?

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