I distinctly remember as a child going to a particular McDonald’s drive-thru. At the end of the order came the most important decision I probably made all day: “Would you like vanilla or chocolate?” After carefully weighing my options (which took about .02 seconds!) I answered “Chocolate!” to which the voice on the other end of the speaker (who JUST offered me two options) said, “I’m sorry, we only have vanilla.” Heartbroken! Devastated! Just kidding, I was still getting ice cream.

That simple story brings decision making to its most trivial level, but not all decisions are that insignificant. College A or College B? Career Y or Career Z? So many choices are presented in our lives on a daily basis, although thankfully, not all carrying the same weight.

In today’s reading, there were a number of choices presented to the readers/listeners. Joshua gave a brief history lesson about how God destroyed those that stood against Him, and blessed those who obeyed Him. Then Joshua instructs the children of Israel: “…choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods whom your fathers served on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 Jesus shows the disparity between those who had much, but gave little of what they had and a woman who had little but gave all she had. We just came through our Declare his Glory Conference during which we were challenged about giving “to our power” and “beyond our power.” How much are you willing to do so that you could give to the furtherance of God’s work: some of the excess or everything you can?

In Psalm 89, the psalmist asks God to differentiate between those who follow Him and those who stand in opposition. In fact, seeing the obvious sin of the wicked, and their apparent prosperity, the psalmist asks “How long, Lord? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire?” Sometimes the disparity between right and wrong is so obvious, we think, “How could anyone not see this?” and in turn, that causes us to ask, “Is God blind to this, or does He just not care?” Of course, His discernment is perfect while it is ours that is imperfect.

Then Proverbs 13 shows the difference between the wise and the foolish, or the righteous and the rebels. You can choose how you live your life, who your friends are, how you will plan for the future, and even if you want to follow the Lord or not, but be warned: your choices come with consequences.

These choices are the difference between life and death, or at least between facing God’s wrath or His mercy. Much more important than chocolate or vanilla, but the choice is yours. What choices will you make today: those that honor God, or those that fit your own desires?