Good Thing Going

“My choice is you, God, first and only.  And now I find I’m your choice!  You set me up with a house and yard.  And then you made me your heir!  The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart.  Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.”  Psalm 16:5-8 (The Message)

I really do have a good thing going on with my relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  I know I do, so I wouldn’t attempt to navigate this life any other way.  I don’t claim to be perfect nor is my life perfect, but it is greatly improved from the days when I tried to live this life under my own power. 

I was born into a Christian home and grew up going to church.  I learned the Bible stories they taught me.  But what I didn’t learn until later is that I am God’s choice, that He set me up for success, and gives me wise counsel.  All that was in His word, but until I dug in and really checked Him out for myself, I didn’t know what God meant to do with me.  I found out that He has plans for me, and you too.  He does not want you bumping around aimlessly in this life.  He wants to give you a hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11)  When I found that out, I had a choice to make.  I could keep going the way I was, or I could choose to take Him at His word and do life His way.  I chose to trust Him, rely on Him.  I decided not to pick and choose my way around the Bible, but to study it, get it into my heart and live by it.  When I decided to do it His way, my life started to change. 

So what changes took place when I decided to trust God?  If you are a regular reader, you know some of the miraculous things that have happened in my life.  If not, I’ll just say that everything improved.  Everything.  God’s Word is the guideline by which I live my life.  He is my standard.  He is first….not my husband, and my identity is found in Christ before anything else.  God is the filter by which I view everything.  He has given me spiritual eyes and that allow me to see that the old junk that was within me has passed away, and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).  I see others differently too….I actually love people.   THAT was a surprise!  Not that I hated people before, but I admit it was very easy to be apathetic about issues that I deemed ‘not mine’.  Now, my empathy with others can be downright inconvenient.

In Him, I have experienced a newness of life.  It is so good that I am not going to let it go.  If you need a change, try Him.  Once you get hold of what God’s got for you, you won’t let go either.   I’m sure of it!