Can everyone choose God? or not?

With God, are there any coincidences? Today’s section for ‘reading through the Bible in a year’ happens to be a prelude to the verses and thoughts expressed by Tozer in his devotional. Both are serious observations and both are a burden on my heart for the world and the attitude of many people toward God, even people who appear ‘religious’ but have no personal relationship with Him and are not yielded to His will. The Lord describes these people through the prophet Isaiah:

And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.” (Isaiah 29:13–14)

For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 30:9–11)

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling, and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore you shall flee away; and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. (Isaiah 30:15–16)

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18)

Instead of a true heart that loves God, many people fake it. On the outside, they appear to be pious but in their hearts they don’t want God to speak truth to them or instruct their lives. They don’t want anyone else to speak to them about the Lord either because they prefer to live by their own ideas and strengths.

God is patient with them like He is with all of us. He longs to show us what He is like, a merciful and just God who blesses all who seek Him and trust Him.

Jeremiah, another OT prophet speaks directly to those hypocrites:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, (Joshua 24:15–16)

They were given a choice. These verses indicate that they wanted to serve the Lord yet historically, their commitment was on and off, mostly off. Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, their desire to live for the Lord constantly wavered.

Tozer speaks of a “spark of God within a person that troubles him or her” and leads people on to salvation. It is a spiritual awareness that cannot save them but prods them toward that choice. Tozer adds that some are nice people, nice neighbors, nice friends yet live without any spark of need for God.

He adds that we are created with the ability to choose. God didn’t want or create robots. I believe that much of that ability to choose was destroyed in the fall of humanity into sin, at least the ability to choose God. Sin says, “I will do it my way” and chooses to serve self. The Spirit of God offers us new life and the freedom of making choices that please God. When that ‘spark’ comes, it presents to us the most important decision of our lives.

Those who constantly say, “I cannot help it; this is just the way I am” sound like they are making a cop-out, but what they say may be true. Without God, the stuff we choose becomes a product of a heart without that spark. I need Jesus living in me to choose the things of God. I used to be a robot but not to Him — only to my old nature, to the world, the flesh and the devil. I couldn’t help it and constantly wavered between the voice of a million desires and the spark of the Holy Spirit. I wanted to do right, but until He gave me new life, it was not possible.

The liar keeps telling me that God does not want the best for me, that He is not interested in my well-being. Every little thing that supports that lie will throw me into selfishness — apart from that wonderful spark that reminds me of what Christ has done and of the promises of God. I do not need to sin. I do not need to make ‘me’ number one. God gives me options and with the choices also gives assurance of His continual presence and care. This does not work if I fake it and become a hypocrite. It does not work if I try to do it without Him. It only works when I yield to Him so that He can change ‘the way I am’ to the way He wants me to be.

^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, Your Word is so precious and so relevant to my needs. You assure me that You will take care of all my needs, be always with me, and keep leading me in Your ways. You also grant deep joy that overcomes all the burdens of life, even when they are not lifted. I cannot fake it. I am helpless without You, but with You I can do all things. You are a wonderful Savior.