Happy Tuesday. It is July 23, 2024. A flight attendant once asked a passenger in coach, “Would you like lunch?” He replied, “What are my options?” She said with a straight face, “Yes or No.” With God, sometimes those are our only options. Obey or not obey. Yes or no. We can try to out-reason, circumvent, and talk ourselves out of God’s instruction. However, in the end, there is only regret.
Today's Reading:
2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38,39; Psalms 75; 1 Peter 2
Scripture
“‘… and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became … a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense;’ for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word …” (1 Peter 2:6-8)
Observation
You have a 50-50 chance—one of two choices. It’s not multiple choice, where you have dozens of possibilities. It is either yes or no. Either you believe or you don’t. Either you obey, or you don’t. The choice is simple, but the results can be astronomical—astronomically good or astronomically bad.
Application
Believing and obeying Christ is a daily choice. I’ve done a good job of messing things up in the past by vacillating between what I think and what I know God is asking. Sometimes, I have felt like the people of Israel in 1 Kings 18, to whom Elijah said, “If Baal is god, serve him. But if God is God, then serve Him! And stop hesitating between two opinions!” I realize I can talk myself out of obedience by reasoning, analyzing myself into oblivion, making excuses, and absolving myself because I have “good intentions.” But those are not my options. It is “Yes” or “No!”
Prayer
Father, I believe in You, and I choose You! I want my answer to be “Yes, Lord,” even before I hear Your request. In the past, I’ve had a “maybe” heart or a “let-me-think-about-it” heart. Starting today, give me a “Yes” heart without hesitation.
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