CHOICES
By Rabbi Dr. David L. Barsky
PLAY SONG “CHOICES” sung by George Jones
Once upon a time, there was a man who lived with his wife, two small children, and his elderly parents in a tiny hut. He tried to be patient and gracious, but the noise and crowded conditions wore him down. In desperation, he consulted the village wise man. “Do you have a rooster? asked the wise man. “Yes,? he replied. Keep the rooster in the hut with your family, and come and see me again next week.? The next week, the man returned and told the wise elder that the living conditions were worse than ever, with the rooster crowing and making a mess of the hut. “Do you have a cow? asked the wise elder. The man nodded fearfully. “Take your cow into the hut as well, and come see me in a week.? Over the next several weeks, the man - on the advice of the wise elder -- made room for a goat, two dogs, and his brother’s children.Finally, he could take no more, and in a fit of anger, he kicked out all his guest, leaving only his wife, his children, and his parents. The home suddenly became spacious and quiet, and everyone lived happily ever after. (Source: The Hope Health letter, Leadership, Winter 96)
Life is full of choices. What to wear—what to eat—what to watch—what to drive—where to live. But what does it mean to choose? Webster defines choose this way: to select freely after due consideration
To choose is deliberate—it is not by chance You’re approaching an intersection—you’re late ---in a hurry—the light changes–what do you do? And what consequences do you reap from your actions?
You’re at party –liquor is flowing freely – you are the designated driver—do you have a drink?
You’re on a diet – you’ve had your fill of salad and all that healthy stuff that tastes like you know what—do you sneak a candy bar?
Life is full of choices –and consequences
Go thru a red light -- get a ticket
Eat sweets –get cavities and put on weight
Drink too much—play huggy bowl
Sex out of marriage could be a death sentence
For every action there is a consequence.
Rob a bank –go to jail
Lie on your taxes—get caught
Tithe & reap or don’t tithe and say Why me Lord—why am I always broke
On and on and on
All day long we are faced with choices and the consequences of our choices. The only thing I can say with certainty is that we will not always choose wisely. We allow ourselves to be influenced by people and circumstances. Sometimes that is good and sometimes that tragic.
We’re a strange people –we love the counsel of man—but seldom seek the counsel of God. What fellowship does light have with darkness—yet we keep asking for worldly advise.
We choose to sue our brothers, we choose to avoid the poor, we choose to cheat on this and that, we choose to lie, and even steal. We love unjust gain—we’re litigious—sue, sue, sue, has become our motto—every auto accident is seen as a chance for a score—a windfall of unrighteous gain. It’s almost as though we have convinced ourselves that God is either not watching—or doesn’t care!
The Bible declares ---Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all else will be added unto you--- but do we?
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!!!!
Do we hold Him in Awe—do we ask him for wisdom.
Pro 2: 1 My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 Discretion will guard you,
Understanding will watch over you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things;
So what is the key---- IF-- YOU Receive my Words—SIEZE HOLD OF MY WORDS & Treasure my commandments—STORE THEM UP –THEN ---I WILL…..
Job 12:13 “With Him are wisdom and might;
To Him belong counsel and understanding.
14 “Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
15 “Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth.
16 “With Him are strength and sound wisdom,
The misled and the misleader belong to Him.
…
22 “He reveals mysteries from the darkness
And brings the deep darkness into light.
God said of Israel in Deu 32:28 They are a nation lacking in counsel --constantly making the wrong decision. Why? They sought counsel in the wrong places—everywhere but from the Lord.
Sin is a choice---WE CHOOSE TO SIN – In deed, in thought, in action or inaction –and all the while we are rebelling against the creator. Glory, glory, glory------God sent his son to overcome our poor choices----
John 15:12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14“You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17“This I command you, that you love one another.
He chose us from before the foundations of the earth to be His for all eternity—we owe Him at the very least to try to make the right choices.
Psalm 11 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Psalm 3311 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance
Psalm 64:2 2 Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers,
From the tumult of those who do iniquity,
Proverbs 8: 14 “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, power is mine.
15 “By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 “By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 “I love those who love me;
And those who diligently seek me will find me.
18 “Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
And my yield better than choicest silver.
20 “I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
Isaiah 11: 1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And He will delight in the fear of the LORD,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
This goes against the ways of the world---we make judgments every day based on what we hear—based on what we see. Do you know that eyewitness testimony is the most unreliable—up to 70 % of the time it is wrong. Do you know how many innocent men have been jailed on faulty eyewitness testimony.
When we need to make a judgment why don’t we take it before the Lord for His input? Why is it that we wait until we have made a mess of things before we ask for His help?
In the 24th chap of the book of Joshua he reviews Israel’s history to date and charges them: Choose this day whom you shall serve---as for me and my house –we will serve the LORD
What does that mean? –we will serve the LORD
We belong to Him –He is the king—we are his loyal subjects. What He says goes—its not a democracy---He need no opinion polls or focus groups—our job is to do what He says when He says it—period. His responsibility is to protect those that are His—His word says touch not my anointed. Once He becomes Lord and Master of our lives He is obligated by His Word and His character to safeguard us.
Every promise He has ever made belong to us---- if we choose them to be. We can choose:
• Health or sickness
• Blessing or curse
• Prosperity or poverty
• Heaven or Hell
• Love or hate
• Good or evil
• Light or darkness
• Kingdom living or worldly living
• Godly mate or worldly date
• The head or the tail
• Victor or victim
• Joy or sadness
• Adoption or rejection
• Winner or loser
• Know God or No God
What I’m talking about is our ATTITUDE
If we think we’re a loser—we’ve already lost
If we believe we are unworthy –we are
If we think we are unlovable--- then God is a liar—because His Word says he first loved us.
We sign for all kinds of things that allow the enemy to attack us –its as if we gave Him an engraved invitation.—Dear satan—please come and oppress me now—and remember---just like motel six ---I’ll leave the light on for you—and the door wide open.
That’s what we do when we make negative confessions---like: It’s too late for me----or I’ve got cancer and have only 6 months to live, or I’ll never prosper, I’ll never find the woman or man of my dreams. And on and on and on.
We keep pronouncing curses over our lives.
We need to live in Victory – In the Word
We need to appropriate the tools given us to wage war on the enemy
We need to take back what he stole from us
We need to put him where he belongs—under our feet.
We need to walk in victory not defeat
We need to appropriate the Word of God in our daily lives
Then we can say—the doctors say……..but I believe the report of the Lord—His report says I am Healed—His report says he bore my disease, His report says By His Stripes I am Healed, His report says that His desire is for me to prosper and be in good health just as my soul prospers.
We need to choose wisely ---accept the assignment of infirmity—and the reality of that assignment or rebuke it—bind it—send it back and loose—restoration and health--- the report of the Lord.
Do you want to prosper? Choose prosperity—tithe and sow
Do you want a mate—don’t go to a bar or the mall looking—choose to let God bring that mate to you. Let Him do the picking—that’s the only way you can be sure.
The more we know Him the more active in our lives he becomes. He will go from stranger to best friend if we invite Him into our life—as the focal point—not an afterthought.
As we delight in Him he will give us the desires of our heart
If we go to Him for wisdom and guidance—he will supply it –we need never make a poor choice again.
Slow down—wait on Him---hear from Him –then act
Gideon put out the fleece twice because he really didn’t know the voice of the Lord –do you? Can you hear Him?
If you can’t—why not choose this day to remedy that situation—ask Him into an intimate relationship with you---spend time in His Word—let Him speak Rhema words to you.
Spend time with Him in Prayer—
Spend time with him in praise and worship --dance before Him with abandon—raise you hands in adoration, sing to Him, tell Him how much you love Him, and need Him—put him first in all things
Choose ye this day whom you shall serve—as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.
And once you seek first the Kingdom of God –all things will be added unto you.
May God be your guide in all your choices.
END
