Only Two Responses

Friday, February 20th, 2026

1:40 pm

Good afternoon! I hope you have had a good day today. It has been a really good day so far. It is absolutely beautiful outside, just a tad chilly. Makes me ready for spring. I know we still have a few more weeks, but I am definitely ready for some spring weather. We plant a garden every year, and I am ready for that too.

Today I am in John 6:60-71. Jesus just got done telling the people that He is the bread of life. The disciples around Him began talking to each other saying that Jesus' teachings were very hard to understand, and wondering how anyone could accept it. Jesus knew what they were saying and asked them if His teaching offended them, and if so then what would they think when they see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? He goes on telling them that the Spirit alone gives eternal life, and human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words He had spoken to them were Spirit and life. He tells them that He knows some of them don't believe Him, and He knew which ones, that is why people can't come to Him unless the Father gives them to Him. Many of the disciples left Him, but He turned to His 12 and asked them if they were going to leave Him too? Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know You are the Holy One of God." Then Jesus told them that He chose the 12 of them, but one was a devil.

For me, it never gets old hearing that God is the one that calls us, that chooses us. That there is nothing that we can do out of our own effort that will work, but God within us. The Holy Spirit that is in us. He is the one that guides us to Him, and reveals God to us. Knowing that brings so much overwhelming joy to my heart. That He loves us and chooses us for Himself, even when I don't feel worthy sometimes. He still chooses us! So powerful! But we each have to make that choice to follow Him for ourselves. Many times when we read God's Word, God is going to tell us something that we may not like, maybe we don't want to change a habit that He is telling us to change. Just like the people couldn't understand what Jesus was saying about Him being the true bread of life. Many turned from Him because of that. God still gives us the option to follow Him or not. Believe in Him or not. Believe in what Jesus is telling us even though we may not fully understand or not. That choice is still up to us. Yes God calls us, but it is up to us what we do with that. What we do with what God is showing us or telling us. Obey or not. There are only two options. We either turn away from Him when it gets hard to follow Him or we turn away. What we choose matters. And that choice affects what happens to you in eternity. And that choice also affects those close to us as well. Have you made the right choice? It matters. Its your choice. God chose you, do you chose Him?