May.05.04: Light for the Day - "Choose Life" "God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,  Courage to change the things I can,  and the Wisdom to know the difference." ---------- -- Deuteronomy 30:19 "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!" --------------- If God were to remove all evil from our world (but somehow leave human being on the planet), it would mean that the essence of “humanness” would be destroyed.  We would become robots. Let me explain what I mean by this. If God eliminated evil by programming us to perform only good acts, we would lose this distinguishing mark – the ability to make choices. We would no longer be free moral agents. We would be reduced to the status of robots. Let’s take this a step further. Robots do not love.  God created us with the capacity to love. Love is based upon one’s right to choose to love. We cannot force others to love us. We can make them serve us or obey us. But true love is founded upon one’s freedom to choose to respond. [He who does not love does not know God, for God is love - 1Jn 4:8] Given the choice, I would rather be responsible for my actions than be a robot without responsibility! Are you using your ability to make decisions wisely – and using it for God? -- Billy Graham  --------------- -- Romans 6:16 Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive His approval. -- 1 Kings 18:21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. -- 2 Kings 17: 38 Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39 You must worship only the LORD your God.  He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies." 40 But the people would not listen and continued to follow their old ways. 41 So while these new residents worshiped the LORD, they also worshiped their idols.  And to this day their descendants do the same. -- Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD.  "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. -- John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. -- Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."