Choices, Choices

Life's full of choices isn't it?  Some are simple, some. . .not so much.

Paper or plastic. . .
Chocolate or vanilla. . .
Game night or movie night. . .
Quiet time or tv time. . .
Facebook or The Book. . .
Good or evil. . .
Life or death. . .

It all began in the Garden really, when an eternal God made a beautiful world and placed us right in the middle of His glory.  Perfection lived out right before our very eyes in blooming flowers and flowing water and soaring birds. . .and then He planted the choice.  Right there in the middle of His garden, planted in the fertile soil of life's beginning, right there in the tenderness of our hearts.  All knowing God gave us a choice. . . one that could be seen and touched and tasted.  Two trees - one bearing the fruit of eternal life and one bearing the fruit of eternal death.  One choice, one taste is all it took.


We all know the choice our human parents made long ago because it is lived and felt every day of our lives.  We flesh it out in our daily choosing of our own life or death.  The taste of the fruit we choose is fresh in our mouths.  Will we choose this moment to live and obey, or will we choose in this moment to die in disobedience and rebellion?


We see the choices woven throughout Scripture of the ones who chose the good fruit.  Abraham tasting the fruit of faith as he left all to follow the one true God.  Joseph picking obedience as he heeded his father's voice and chose over and over again to do what was right in every circumstance.  Noah, Daniel, Nehemiah, Ruth, Elijah. . .all life followers. 


And then we see the greatest life follwer of all. . . a baby born and God wraps His son in newborn flesh and places the King of Heaven in a virgin's arms.  And that boy grows into a man who heals and preaches and prays.  A man who chooses the fruit of obedience to His Father even when the fruit seems bitter.  Even when the fruit of life comes at the cost of death.  A man who loves His God Father so much he gives his body to be beaten, his name to be assaulted, and his spirit to be given . . . all to please the Father who loves the world. 


This world that is sin lusting and dripping in self.  These people who are mocking and hating and killing.  Right in the middle of our sin . . . He loved us and He died for us.  So that when we choose the fruit of death He can offer the gift of life.  So that when our self saturated hearts fall in the pit of destruction He is there to lift us up and wrap us in the gift of His blood, so when the Father glances our way He doesn't see our sin choice, He sees His Son's life choice.  He sees the One who is Son and God and man all wrapped in one, who chose freely to give us life through His death.  The Son who gives us still the fruit of life and all its glory!