Friday 1 Feb 2013

Friday Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

Key Verse: Isaiah 43:7
7  Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Devotion:
We do not have to look too far to see why God has created us. Yesterday I hinted toward the right answer by showing how we have been given a free choice. Today we look at how God has steered us in the right direction. Man has made some pretty remarkable choices in the past that have caused all manner of anguish and pain and yet we look upon those choices as the right choices! We see a pattern of man making choices and God trying to steer us back toward the right way throughout history. From the ancient times when God was trying to take the Children of Israel and allow them to be a shining example to the rest of the world right through to the modern choices we make, we see the same pattern over and over again.

Man makes choices and they are his own choices to make. We know they are our own choices because God allows us to make them and afterward we then see that we have done a few too many selfish choices and not considered God once again! Why would God make those sort of choices for us? They are our mistakes and we have to own up to them. The mistakes than man made that got him into trouble have been made over and over again throughout history; but that does not mean that we are going to have to make those same mistakes as well. We have the choice as to go in the right direction… but we also have a very crafty and sly enemy in Satan who wants to trip us up so that we fall before God. After all, why should he be the only one who has fallen – what selfishness!

I know that I come up against tough times and I know that I make bad choices as well, but I also know that God is not just forgiving and merciful but also gives me the strength and wisdom to turn round and make the right choices at the right times as long as I am willing to listen to His good advice!

When we get to know just how special our God really is we begin to be more willing to accept His advice, but we still make mistakes. We need to come to Him and ask for forgiveness for those mistakes and to lift Him up in praise for all that He has done and all that He does do for us. We were created so that we can choose to give Him the glory that He alone deserves – but it is our choice!

Points to Ponder:
Do you follow God’s advice?

Do you give God all the glory?