Free to Choose
“Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter.” Psalm 60:7 NASB
Mine – Perhaps one of the most significant and shortest Hebrew words is li, the combination of the preposition le and the pronoun ani. Literally, “toward I” or “from I,” the result is the expression “mine.” Short and sweet, but what it implies changes everything. What does YHVH say belongs to Him? Why, everything, of course! In particular, every area of the land that caused Israel difficulties. In other words, YHVH is free to choose to use any part of His total creation to do whatever He wishes. He is Lord and Master and He may call into service any or all of His domain, even if it seems as though the parts He calls are opposed to Him. The King of kings bends the heart of every king as a man bends the course of a stream to fit his needs.
How does this idea change everything? Ah, it means that there is no part of the world’s disobedience that is not serving the purposes of YHVH. It means that all those points of opposition and distress, all those “sinners” and atheists, blasphemers and heretics are still serving Him by bringing about His purposes whether they know it or not. It means that the challenges we face, the stresses we feel, the struggles we have and the battles before us are His! He brings Nebuchadnezzar to the fore. He uses the Pharaoh. He calls Assyria to assist. He puts Rome in its role. He enlists Islam to accomplish His objective. How He does all that is not explained. That He does it is summarized in the simple word li.
Be comforted. The Lord, He is good. The earth might be seem to be in chaos. The power of this age might seem to be destroying the plan of YHVH. His children might appear to be in dire need and under cataclysmic threat. The whole earth might seem to be on the edge of collapse. But be comforted. The Lord, He is God and there is none other beside Him. No competing superpower alternative god. No equal. No ultimate threat. No rival. What happens works for His plan and purpose and nothing, not one thing, can prevent it. Delays, yes! Difficulties, certainly! Discouragement, probably! But defeat? Not a chance.
How do we fit into all this? Well, that’s a big question. Our role isn’t clear. We have the view of a man looking through the keyhole into the studio of a great artist who is painting the wall of the largest cathedral. We see only in part. We see only dimly. But we do see. We see an occasional brushstroke, a moment of color. This must be our comfort. We may die long before the work of the Artist is finished, but we die knowing that His canvas included what we saw it belongs to no one else.
“It’s Mine,” say the Lord of hosts. “Why are you so concerned what I will do with it? Why do you fret when it seems as if the forces of evil are prevailing? Don’t you understand the meaning of li?”
Topical Index: li, mine, Psalm 60:7
My freedom to choose belongs to the One Who chooses to give it to me (present tense). Like the breath in my body, my will is a gift from His hand every moment. He hands me the opportunity to disobey Him! This is like a parent telling their child that they can choose to get in the car, but if they don’t, they are going to get left behind. Then the child has to sit there and wonder what the chances are that the parent is going to be willing to do that!
We can listen to the lie that we ‘have'(!) the ability to defy heaven, but our wills do not compete with His. I think we suffer from many illusions, but one of the worst is that we have the capacity to challenge YHVH. We don’t. All we ‘have’ is the ability to annihilate ourselves from His kingdom: the real problem being that there is no other place to go – no alternate kingdom to live in. The kingdom of Self is likewise an illusion. Choosing it is to choose to “X” ourselves out of our own existence. The only reason it does not occur instantaneously is because our Father knows that if we had all the facts, we would not want to do that, so He creates the opportunity to obtain more information; albeit at a cost of everything for heaven, and a few curses for us.
Love prevails, for that is the nature of love. Love conquers all. To set ourselves against it is to just skunk ourselves out of our own birthday party. That is not a powerful choice: that is just stupid!
I love this! I tend to worry, and I tend to like my ducks (and everything else) in rows, despite the fact that I can’t seem to corral my papers. Especially these days, when things feel out of control, there’s something special about God saying, “mine!” Makes me feel wanted, needed, and loved. 🙂
Part of a Plan
~ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost ~
The Plan of Redemption
We are not saved by the “plan of salvation,” — we are saved by the Man of Salvation and HIs Name is (“Matthew 11.21”).
God has a master plan and it is the the Master’s plan. But love, we must know and remember, IS a choice. Even though God IS sovereign,(LORD of lords and King of kings), We MUST be free to choose. None of us can say, (or will say on that day when we stand before HIm), “You never gave me an opportunity or a choice.”
YHWH, or Elohim, as we may recall, gave Pharaoh —how many opportunities to repent? How many opportunities to change his mind? But what did Pharaoh say? What was his (O, so foolish) “choice?”
~ The fool has said in his hardened heart, “NO,” to God! ~ Talk to the hand, cause the ears ain’t listening!
Imagine saying “NO” to YHWH, the Creator, El Elyon and most holy Sovereign and Sustainer of Heaven and of Earth!
Now imagine this- the choice we each have to say “No” to the One, the only begotten, totally unique Son of God and son of man, the One who suffered, bled and died on a common criminal’s cross for you and for me. Yes, it is true.. ~Because God “SO LOVED” the world, He gave His only begotten Son [in order] that “whosoever” believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life ~
Again, we are free to choose “Life.” Free to choose “Love.” And free to choose “Liberty.” All of these are gifts of grace from the Prince of Peace, our crucified Savior and our risen and reigning LORD, the Lamb sent from God who takes away the sins of the world.
Perhaps John can open our eyes. ~ And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
~ Everyone who believes that Yeshua is The Messiah (Jesus is the Christ) is born from God, and everyone who loves Him who begot, loves also the One who is begotten of Him ~ (1 John 5.1)
Do you love Him?
The wise words of our Near-Kinsman Redeemer and Master are these ~ “take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. For I AM meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest for your souls.” ~ (Matthew 11.29)
What a beautiful picture you paint, Carl (and you are getting better and better!), but oh, what gorgeous colors you have to paint with! So lovely He is!
Such a comforting reminder of the sovereign will and the unsurpassed love of the Creator of the Universe.
Beautiful Heartbreak
http://youtu.be/xyX-I-um5Kk
Yes, indeed. Tears with this one.
Oh thank you Tanya. That is beautiful!!
It’s interesting isn’t it? Since God IS sovereign.. – why does He not then “force” us to love Him or to do His will? It is because Love that is forced is NOT love at all!! (There is another name for this and it is not pretty!) The “free will” of man also proves (and improves) our humanity. We are not robots! Even our LORD Himself prayed tHis blessed choice: “not My will.. but Thine be done!”
“Free will” is a fact. But does God know (in advance) the choices we will make and will He (does He) do everything in His power to guide us or direct us into doing what is righteous, good, or beneficial? Yes, He does.
I wouldn’t want to play a game of chess with Him for He knows my every thought, but I also believe If we did play, I would hear Him say, “you sure you want to move your piece there?” or “I wouldn’t do that if I were you!”
What a blessed promise is ours: ~ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you ~ (Psalm 32.8) and? “I will never leave you, nor forsake you!” I AM with you [only when “things” are going well..]. No. I AM with you [only when certain conditions are met]. No. His promise to His children is “Lo, (Behold) I AM with you ALWAYS even to the end.. That Name again? “Immanuel” – “God with us!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Y-Px39cm4
Yeah! Amen!
I read Today’s Word every morning. Our country’s government decisions that oppose our morals, the Iran Agreement etc.etc. weigh heavily upon me at times. So you can understand why I needed Today’s Word today.