There are times when God sends thunder to stir us. There are times when God sends His blessings to lure us. But then there are times when God sends nothing but silence as He honors us with the freedom to choose where we spend eternity. And what an honor it is! In so many areas of life we have no choice. Think about it. You didn’t choose your gender. You didn’t choose your siblings. You didn’t choose your race or the place of your birth. Sometimes our lack of choices angers us. “It’s not fair,” we say. It’s not fair that I was born in poverty or that I sing so poorly or that I run so slowly. But the scales of life were forever tipped on the side of fairness when God planted a tree in the Garden of Eden. All complaints were silenced when Adam and his decedents were given free will, the freedom to make whatever eternal choice we desire. Any injustice in this life is offset by the honor of choosing our destiny in the next. Wouldn’t you agree? Would you have it otherwise? Would you have preferred the opposite? You chose everything in this life, and He chooses where you spend the next? You choose the size of your nose, the color of your hair, and your DNA structure, and He chooses where you spend eternity? Is that what you would prefer? It would have been nice if God had let us order life like we order a meal: I’ll take good health and a high IQ. I’ll pass on the music skills, but give me a fast metabolism …. Would’ve been nice. But it didn’t happen. When it came to your life on earth, you weren’t given a voice or a vote. But when it comes to life after death, you were. In my book that seems like a good deal. Wouldn’t you agree? Have we been given any greater privilege than that of choice? Not only does this privilege offset any injustice, the gift of free will can offset any mistakes. You’ve made some bad choices in life, haven’t you? You’ve chosen the wrong friends, maybe the wrong career, even the wrong actions and relationships. You look back over your life and say, “If only …. if only I could make up those bad choices.” You can. One good choice for eternity offsets a thousand bad ones on earth. God allows you the choice. The choice is yours. He Will Let You Choose. Thoughts from reading “I Will Let You Choose” by Max Lucado.
Out of love for one another…….
We are currently allowing mask use to be optional during the Sunday morning Bible Study and worship assembly and Wednesday evening Bible study. We recommend that those who are unvaccinated or have personal health concerns to continue to wear a mask. We thank you for your consideration of and care for others. Masks are available if you need one.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)
Scripture of the Week
2“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything.”
12“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” ~ James 1:2, 12Something to Smile About
Shortly after tying the knot, a young married couple started arguing over who should make the coffee. Being a good Christian woman, the wife went to the scriptures for her answer. She said that the Bible specifically stated that men should be the ones to make the coffee.
Puzzled, the husband asked her where in the Bible it said that. Very confidently, the wife opened up her Bible and said: “It’s right here—HEBREWS.”
Think About It
Lessons from a Skunk
Back when I was a teenager, I and my brother were helping my dad with his lake cabin. While I was unloading some plumbing supplies, Gary was pulling off some trim from the crawlspace. Suddenly, my brother let out a yell, and a distinctive smell filled the air. It was the smell of a skunk. It had taken up residence under the cabin.
There is an old saying: “If it smells like a skunk, it is a skunk.”
In our society, it is not unusual for people to label sin as good. But it doesn’t matter how much the spin doctors try to convince us, sin is sin. And those who say otherwise face judgment.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20).– Larry Fitzgerald Woodlawn, church of Christ, Abilene, TX
Highland Lakes church of Christ 