Most Righteous Lord, You must be horrified by the committing of sin because You could never condone anything that is evil. Since it was You who gave me life, none of what I do escapes Your watchful eyes. Because of my free will, I am in complete control of my destiny. Life and death, fidelity and disloyalty, obedience and disobedience are choices I must make regularly which control my outcomes. To choose to keep Your commandments and act faithfully is within my power. You have set before me choices which I must commit to do one way or another. I must remain devoted to You because of Your vast knowledge, all-seeing eyes, and awesome power. You watch over those who fear You and You are aware of every situation I confront. Because You are holy, You will never ask me to do anything that is evil or give me permission to sin.
Each person must decide whether he will obey You or his own yearnings or the ways of the world. Because of my fallen nature, it is so easy to slip into rebellion going about my life in my own way. But everyone comes to a point in their life where a decision must be made on who or what will control them. The choice is mine to make … will it be You, me, or another imperfect substitute? If I choose You, it is not a one-time deal but has to be reaffirmed each day. This is to remind me of just who is “Lord.” Regardless of what others decide, I must remain faithful to You and be willing to set the example of living by my decision. The way I live shows others the strength of my commitment to You. Unfortunately, people claim that they would never forsake You, but they do not keep their promise. Talk is cheap and it’s easy to say they will follow You, but doing it is another thing. It is easier said than done.
To those who choose what pleases You and strive to keep Your commands will be given blessings and a life of abundance. To those who do not choose to live for You, it is natural for them to strive to attain the world’s values … money, popularity, power, pleasure, and prestige. For me to live for You, I must develop eternal values, be unashamed to tell others about You, and push ahead with a life of resisting sin. My goal is to speak boldly about You and become more like You. If I am not ready to lay down my life for You, I am not ready to live for You. Each person needs a purpose for living that goes beyond providing for his own needs. Life often demands that I choose the path less traveled rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin. It is easy to be deceived by the temporary benefits of wealth, status, and achievements. That is why choosing You is the smart thing for me to do. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Joshua 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to You, then choose for yourself this day who you will serve … But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.