And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:19-20)
We have all been created with free will. According to theological perspectives, God generally does not override human free will to protect us from our own choices. God can however intervene in circumstances and influence hearts, I know that personally because He has done it in me. Free will is considered essential for genuine love and moral responsibility. This is actually a gift from God that allows us humans to choose to love and obey God, rather than being forced to do so. We are free to make choices, just like in the Garden of Eden, but remember we are also responsible for the consequences of those choices just as Adam and Eve were. I have recently had to make a choice on to how to handle a situation based off of my free will, not a heaven or hell issue, but a moral response that I would have to live with for the rest of my life here on earth. I will say it was definitely a life altering one. This choice was going to permanently change my life, my perspective as well as my future path. On the other hand it was going to be a positive, transformative moment in my life, allowing for more spiritual growth, rest in my spirit, knowing that I had made the right choice for me. I am learning the importance of true rest, not just sleeping, but resting. I have spent a lot of my life restless, tired, worn out all due to choices I have made, that thing called free will. Free will if not taken seriously, is not free at all. The older I get the more peace means to me. Peace of mind, the restfulness of knowing I’ve made right choices regardless of the outlook of others. God tells us in (Joshua 24:15) “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” Decide your own path. I’m choosing the path He is directing me in. I highly advise getting to know the promptings of the Holy Spirit, though God does not stop us from making bad choices, He does influence, nudge or create circumstances that will steer us toward making good decisions if we are paying attention. God is sovereign, and he does protect believers from harm, but it doesn’t mean every bad choice is blocked or reversed, so we still have to be careful when making choices. Again, it’s so important to be still and quiet and listen before making a choice. Remember bearing the responsibility of our choices whether good or bad is ours to bear. That’s the gift of free will. What sort of choices do you need to make today?
Bread and Water 