The Choice - The Crosswalk Devotional - October 7

PLUS...8 Reasons I'm So Glad I'm Not Married  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ &zwnj [Crosswalk.com Logo]( The Crosswalk Devotional  [Devotionals](        [Newsletters](        [e-Cards](      [The Crosswalk Devotional]( The Choice By Michael A. Milton, PhD “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." - [Deuteronomy 30:15-20, NKJV.]( Human beings are not trapped by divinely imposed fatalism. This is one of the regrettable marks of some world religions. Some even confuse the Christian doctrines of election, [predestination]( the sovereignty of God, and the secret councils of God with fatalism. However, the Bible never advances this dogma of human robots being unable to make a change. Instead, God ordains not only the ends, but he ordains the means. God cannot be God unless He is sovereign. Yet, He is not the Lord revealed in creation and the Bible unless He permits human moral agency. Thus, Moses can say to the people, “Choose on this day whether to know God’s blessing or His displeasure. It is true, as Martin Luther responded to Erasmus, that our wills are in bondage until they are released by God through faith in Jesus Christ. However, when we receive Jesus Christ, our wills are liberated, as Augustine taught, “to sin or not to sin.” Therefore, God calls us to receive God’s gift of the way, the truth, and the life. To deny this invitation to our Creator’s way is to default go sorrow. To choose God's way is to choose human flourishing.  [CONTINUE READING →](            You May Also Like:        [8 Reasons I'm So Glad I'm Not Married](  Alyssa Roat I want to speak up for singles who love where we are in life. People are single for a multitude of reasons, so I can only speak for myself, but I consider it a major blessing that I’m not married, and here are 8 reasons why.  [CONTINUE READING →](       [The Ultimate Guide to Family Fun This Autumn](  Leah Arthur Are you breathing in the Autumn air and getting excited for all that comes with this cozy season? If you are looking for creative ways to create lasting memories with those you love, this guide is for you! It includes alternatives to celebrating Halloween, romantic date ideas, soup recipes, activities to do with your grandkids, and more! Have a festive fall with your family, and soak in all the beauty the Lord surrounds us in this season. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/monkeybusinessimages PDF credit: ©SWN/Canva  [CONTINUE READING →](            [Quartet Sings Chilling A Cappella Rendition Of ‘Ave Maria’ In Empty Stairwell](  GodTube.com Four men put their beautiful voices on full display with their stunning A Cappella rendition of “Ave Maria.”  [WATCH NOW →](        [7 Sneaky Idols Destroying the Church Today](  Britt Mooney What is an idol? An idol is worshipping the work of our own hands. Whether we make a physical idol or bow down to our own intellect and philosophy, we can participate in idolatry in a number of different ways.  [CONTINUE READING →](                            Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                           In what city did Mary, Martha, and Lazarus live? A. Bethany B. Bethel C. Bethabara D. Bethlehem [ANSWER THE QUESTION →](     [Crosswalk.com Logo](  [Read about Salem Web Network](  |  [Unsubscribe](   [Email Preference Center](  |  [View in Browser](   © 2023 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk. Â