We are always saying, “If I had this or that, then….” The reality of the whole matter is this, or that would not make as much of a difference as we think. Every day is a choice. Love has given us the choice. I was reading the story of Solomon and fantasized about what it would be like to be him. Amazing wisdom and riches, yes, Solomon had it all. When you come from a poverty-stricken background, as I do, it is easy to get caught up in dreaming. As a girl, my mom worked two jobs to pay the bills. I started caring for younger siblings and keeping the house at the age of nine. During my time as an adult, I lived in a tin building with dirt floors and no plumbing.
Somewhere along the way, someone shared the scripture in Matthew 6: “See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. I think that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you? I love this verse, and I would cling to it through the years, first for me, then for my children. God has always provided for me in some way.
Now, if you read the whole story of Solomon, you learn he had all the wealth in the world and the wisdom one could imagine. He still fell into foley. Then you read Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon, and you discover how he tried to fill his life with all manner of crazy, just like we do today. In the end, he states, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, Fear God. Keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
God has given us ten simple rules to live by. Circumstances don’t govern our behavior; it is a matter of choice. When we choose to follow, we will find peace in life and with the world around us. I love that God never changes; those ten rules are just as relevant today as they were in the time of Moses!
- Love God
- Don’t have idols
- Don’t use your mouth for evil
- Remember the sabbath
- Honor your parents
- don’t kill
- Be faithful in marriage
- don’t steal
- don’t lie
- don’t covet.
These rules will establish healthy boundaries in our lives and cultivate loving relationships! What more can we ask for? I choose to live for God! I chose to lift HIM high! All through the bible it says I put before you, Life (when we choose to follow God) and death (when we choose to follow the devil and all his plans and rebel against a loving God, letting rebellion and hate rule our lives) choose life! Make the choice to follow him, I promise you will not regret it!
Keywords: Life, death, choice
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