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Choices

 

Psalm 25:12 - What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 

The second aspect of God’s plan is His desired or permissive will. This is where the Lord has expressed His will, and we have the opportunity to honor Him or go our own way. The Lord’s desired will is neither irresistible nor unconditional. Rather, God gives you choices so you can exercise your free will in obeying Him. He does so for the purpose of having a genuine love relationship with you.

For example, consider Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Why did the Father leave them with the one prohibition? For the simple reason that the Lord wanted to give them an opportunity to love and respect Him freely through their obedience to His command. Without free will – without a choice to make – Adam and Eve would merely have been under obligation to the Lord God, like slaves under compulsion or robots programmed to carry out certain tasks.

Our loving Heavenly Father is not honored by forced, unwilling, artificial submission. Rather, He is pleased and exalted when we obey Him because we know He is trustworthy, wise, and always acts in love towards us. So, love and obey Him from the heart.

From – “God’s Purpose for Your Life” by Charles F. Stanley