Choices

Joshua 24:15 – Choose for yourselves today the one you will worship. (HCSB)

Nehemiah 8:10 – This day is holy to God. Don't feel bad. The joy of God is your strength! (MSG)

Psalm 61:2 – From the ends of the earth, I cry to You for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety. (NLT)

Years ago, when I was a child, my mother had an old typewriter with little round keys. We had to throw the carriage over manually. As years went on, I owned an electric typewriter. It was so much faster, and with a push of a button, the carriage would zip over to the other side.

Recently, I found that typewriter. It was fun to show the grandchildren how to put the paper in and push the button to zoom the carriage over. Of course, the letters and numbers were in the same spots as computers, although some of the other keys were not. One little granddaughter was especially enthralled with this old typewriter. She sat one day while she was here and typed quite a lengthy letter to me. It is still on my refrigerator. At the end, she put, "And have a good day forever." That so touched my heart.

I have thought about that often. For the most part, having a good day is a choice. Yes, there can be things pressing in on us that could rob of us having a good day. Often, there are relationship issues; there are financial issues; there are health issues. Sometimes, these struggles do get us down. Yet we need to remember that God still loves us, no matter what. In fact, He loves us so much that He won't leave us like we are. So, maybe, just maybe, these struggles are there to help us grow. Maybe they are there so that we can make a choice about the kind of day we will have. Maybe they are there so that Christ-like character will be built in us. Maybe they are there so that we will learn patience and love and kindness. Maybe they are there so that we will learn to forgive, as Christ has forgiven us. God is ever present. We can choose to cry out to Him as well. He is the rock.

"Choices" is a very important word. "Forever" is another thought-provoking word.

2 Corinthians 4:17 – For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! (NLT)

In comparison to "forever", our troubles are small and won't last very long. We can choose to trust our Lord in all situations, and our days will be better here on earth, and even better in heaven.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we are pressed down on every side. And yet, Your Word tells us to choose — to choose whom we will serve today, to choose to cry out to You today, to choose to praise You today. Life is one day at a time, one moment at a time, one breath at a time. O Lord, help us, we pray. We need You today. Amen.