What if there were no boundaries to making decisions and right and wrong did not exist? Where does morality and right and wrong come from? How do we as humans know what the right decision is to make? What is our foundation for making decisions, from the small daily things to the larger major ones?
Micah 1:1-16 demonstrates that God made clear his expectation of the Israelites, and time and time again, they strayed. God was patient. God provided prophets to speak to the leaders of Israel, guiding them and counseling them. Micah wrote in this chapter in verse 8, “Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals and a mourning like the ostriches, For her wounds are incurable. For it has come to Judah; It has come to the gate of My people – To Jerusalem.” Sounds harsh but God was sending a message.
Unfortunately, we as humans are sinful and stray from God’s commands due to the temptations of the world, just like the Israelites did throughout the Bible. The decisions we make ultimately will have consequences in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord is watching each of our decisions, many times influencing and guiding us, but ultimately leaving us to make our own choices.
We read about the demise of people every day in the news. Celebrities, athletes, politicians, and the list goes on. From the outside, we view someone’s life and think they have everything! They are rich, with the handsome husband, pretty wife, the nice cars, beautiful house, and deep down, we may want to be like them. Their life looks fabulous!
Ultimately, power, money and fame can corrupt a person. We can lose sight of thankfulness, appreciation, and what is important in our lives. We can become selfish and dismissive of what is important and become focused on ourselves rather than others. There are very few who reach the pinnacles of success and fame that “come out on the other side” with their lives, family, and faith intact.
God is clear in the Bible about His desire for us to follow His commandments and Gospel. He demonstrated His love for the Israelites time and time again, but He also demonstrated His willingness to punish them for their sins and misdeeds.
Life without discipline and direction leads to poor decisions because we as humans are incapable of making consistently good choices. Sometimes it takes the hard lessons and bad situations to help us appreciate what is important.
Romans 2:11-13 says 11 For there is no partiality with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the laws will be judged by the law. 13 for not the hearers of the laws are just in the sight of God but the doers of the law will be justified.
