Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 12:1-25
List the pros and cons. Consult the Bible. Pray. Talk to people with experience and wisdom. Those are all good ideas for ways to help you make a good decision.
However, we don’t always seek out God and His help before we make decisions. Sometimes, we trust our own wisdom and make wrong choices. What happens then? Will one wrong decision be the end of life as you know it?
That’s what happened to the Israelites. They had made the wrong choices. They had done evil and displeased God. Yet, in 1 Samuel 12:20 Samuel told them, “Do not be afraid," You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.” Samuel assured the Israelites that, if they asked God’s forgiveness, turned away from evil, and began serving God and living God’s way, there was forgiveness. There was a new beginning. There was hope.
While a wrong decision may hold unpleasant circumstances, it isn’t the end of the world. No matter what decision you make, God is greater than that decision or the consequences of it. If you are trying to obey God and make him happy with all the decisions that you make, God can and will continue to bless you and work in your life in spite of the bad decision. In fact, God can even use a bad decision to help you grow spiritually and to bring about good things in your life and the lives of those around you.
Continue to use all of the tools available to you to help you make wise decisions, but when the decision is made, relax and trust God for the outcome. Remember, with God, there is hope.
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” 1 Peter 1:13 & 14
Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me the wisdom to make good decisions. Use even my bad choices to further Your purposes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.