The Right Choice
Genesis 2:1-8
William was sixteen when he left home to make his fortune. Everything he owned was in a backpack when he headed toward a riverboat. William's story was simple: "His father was too poor to care for him and the only trade he knew was soap and candle making." The Captain of the boat was a Christian and when he heard William's story he counseled him: "Someone will soon be the leading soap maker in New York. It can be you as well as anyone else. Be a good man, give your heart to Christ, pay the Lord all that belongs to Him, make an honest soap . . . and I'm sure you'll be a prosperous and rich man." William heeded the advice and when he arrived in New York he joined a Church and started working for a soap manufacturer. In a short time he was part owner of that soap company and later the sole proprietor. He paid his tithes from the beginning and his enterprise prospered so that he dedicated twenty percent to Christ. His prosperity continued so he gave half his income to God. After becoming wealthy he surrendered his entire salary to the Lord. That's the story of William Colgate, the soap and toothpaste manufacturer that was first to put toothpaste in a tube. William made the right choice by accepting the captain's advice.
Decisions Shape Destiny
- Abraham decided to obey God and depart his homeland of Mesopotamia. Although his earthly life included trials, he governed Paradise in his afterlife for 2000 years, until Christ arrived. Not a bad decision.
- Moses chose to disassociate himself from Pharaoh's household. Pharaoh's daughter had adopted Moses and historians tell us that Pharaoh had no son. That meant Moses could have claimed the throne. Rejecting Pharaoh's household didn't seem to be the right choice. But you know the rest of the story. Moses governed Egypt by the power of his staff. Even the Red Sea submitted to his command.
- When Joshua readied to attack Jericho Rahab the harlot welcomed Joshua's spies. Fortunately, because she and her family were the only survivors when Jericho was toppled.
- The widow of Zarepath chose to feed Elijah her last meal and for the next 1,277 days her meal barrel never expired.
- Namaan the leper followed the Prophet's advice to dip seven times in the Jordan River and was healed.
These people discovered that choice positively shaped their destiny. But Scripture also provides many examples of those making wrong decisions:
- Adam and Eve wrongly decided to eat forbidden fruit.
- Moses chose to disobediently strike the rock rather than speak to it and couldn't enter Canaan.
- David disregarded Joab's counsel and numbered Israel in a manner that violated the Law.
- Ananias and Sapphira conspired to lie against the Holy Spirit about their financial dealings. Their hypocrisy cost them their lives.
We must make the right choices because our future depends on it! Solomon punctuated the urgency when he said, "Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding" (PRO 23:23).
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