And Have You Made Your Selection?

S - Acts 15:1, 7-11 (NIV): "Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."  ... After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." "

O - Humans are always trying to add to the work which God has done and is doing.  In his great desire for relationship with us and to give us great dignity he allows us to choose but he wants us to choose the part he has assigned us in the work he has done and is doing.  Whenever we don't trust we either stop altogether OR we do things he has not asked of us.  It is the difference between with the Lord or for him, between the light load or the heavy one, between divine grace and human works, between life and death.  There's the list; the choice is ours.

A - Today, while it is called today, I receive the great dignity of choice.  Today my part really does matter because God is so humble and loves us so much.  Today I can choose to work for him or with him.  I can choose relationship or religion, the light load or the heavy one, life or death.  My choices will not be able to affect his love for me but they will directly affect my capacities to receive his love and his life.  He is life.  He is love. I choose to love him back and to welcome his life according to his desire and design. Today has to be a great day no matter what!

P - Lord,

Thank you for wanting me to work and live with you not for you.  Thank you again for wanting me/us at our worst and for wanting us in ongoing relationship.  Today I want to be someone that is a steady exchange of your life and love coming into me and out of me. I don't want to add a thing.  I'd really like to just be near you and be a reason another might believe.
Thank you for choosing me/us,
Steve