![[Photo of a Scripture verse]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/Proverbs_10_29.jpg)
| “The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.” |
| —Proverbs 10:29 |
We like lots of choices in our lives. At least most of us do. When we go to a restaurant, we like to see a menu that offers a wide variety of different foods. This is especially true if we host a number of friends for a meal. We like to make certain that everyone will find something that he or she will enjoy eating.
The fact that so many different manufacturers of cars and trucks have such a wide variety of models gives testimony to the fact that we like lots of choices. Brand loyalty becomes a coveted item among the marketing community. If those responsible for attracting customers can keep them loyal to a particular brand in the face of many choices, then they have met the goal set before them.
In the matter of following Jesus, there really are only two choices. Either a person will follow Jesus or utterly reject Him. You see, Jesus demands such loyalty and devotion from those who follow Him that only those enabled by the Holy Spirit can achieve success over the length of their lives. The salvation from sin that Jesus offers has nothing to do with the sinners. They can’t earn that salvation. It is absolutely a free gift from God to all those He has called to Himself.
But, once a person recognizes this gift from God, the pathway of obedience is a moment-by-moment choice that the “Christ’s-ones” must make. There is only one pathway for them.
King Solomon understood this bi-directional choice when he wrote these words found in Proverbs 10:29:
The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.
At the beginning of this new day, let’s remember that the pathway set out before us by the Holy Spirit leads to holiness and righteousness. But, let’s also remember that among all the people who cross our pathway each day, there will be those who completely reject even the idea that God loves them and desires to have a relationship with them. We must treat such ones with kindness, compassion, and God-breathed love. And, we must also not become discouraged because of the choice they have made. It’s just the way it is.
