FREE WILL

I usually read through the Bible annually, and I recently completed Jeremiah and am now reading Ezekiel. One of the things that pains me as I read these books is Judah’s rebellion and disobedience. God continually rehearsed Israel and Judah’s history with them; however, they refused to listen.

For forty years during the last period of Judah’s apostasy, Jeremiah, the son of a priest, was chosen by God in his youth to prophesy to them. And Ezekiel, who was a captive in Babylon, was called at age thirty to be a prophet and did so for twenty-two years. Despite the constant Word from God, the people would not believe, repent, or serve God as He required. They could do so, but they chose to disregard the warnings they received.

As it was from the beginning with Adam and Eve, God created them and gave them free will. He did not force them to follow His instructions, but He warned them of the consequences of disobedience. God could have made them robots who followed his every command, but then their love for Him would have been manufactured. God wanted men to love and serve Him with all of their heart because they knew Him as a loving God who took care of His creation.

His same love has been for everyone down through the generations. He has given us all free will to choose the path we will take, to accept His love or to reject it. I aim to learn from others’ mistakes. Not just to read the Word as if it were a book of fiction, but rather to use it as a guide and instructional book that will assist me in pleasing God. I refuse to knowingly follow in the footsteps of disobedient Israel and Judah. Instead, I gladly, freely, and willingly choose to serve God.