"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction . . . Now choose life, so that you and your children may live . . . "
Moses begins this passage in v 11 by saying: "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach." In fact, the entire passage of Deut 30:11-20 should be read. It is an excellent summary of the entire Bible! It brings everything together in one, neat, tidy, little package of just 10 verses. Amazing!
The principles of spiritual life and death, spiritual prosperty and destruction, are the fork in the road for all of us. It all boils down to one simple sentence: Choose Christ and eternal life, or don't and choose eternal death. Which way do I go . . . which way do I go? Moses said the choice was not too difficult or out of reach. Everyone who ever draws a breath on this earth must make that choice. We can evade everything else in this life, but this is a certainy; it is completely unavoidable. We must make a choice between Jesus Christ, the God of eternity, or Satan, the god of this world.
Moses understood the cost of following YWHW, he knew the consequences of not following what God commanded. He begged and pleaded with Israel to make the right choice. He did everything he could to make them obey, but the choice is ultimately ours alone. But please notice something else, something critically important. At the end of verse 19, Moses says: " . . . so the you and your children may live . . . "
The spiritual choices we make in our lives affect countless others, starting with our very own children. Every choice we make in life begins a ripple movement that will touch countless people in countless ways, ways we will never imagine. So then I must ask myself, what choices am I making? Will it bring life or death? Sometimes we have no idea, we must simply trust that our obedience to whatever the Holy Spirit is leading us to do or say will honor God. As long as our life is a glory to the Lord, we have nothing to worry about. Then everything else will fall into place.
We have a key to all of this, it is our unquestioning obedience. Our obedience to Jesus takes all the guesswork out of the equation. We don't have to worry about the results or the effects on others, that is now in the hands of the Lord. Our obedience release the Lord to do the things He wants to do in our lives and all those we touch. Without the obedience of the apostles, where would we be today?
How obedient am I to Jesus? What are my fears? Does my life glorify the King of Kings?
"Loving Lord, forgive me. I am weak in countless ways; I struggle to be obedient to all that You ask of me. Strengthen me, I pray, to live the life You wish for me. I am like Paul in that I know the things I should do but don't, and then do the things I shouldn't do. Have mercy on me, Gracious Savior, the build me up with Your Most Holy Spirit, that all that I think and say and do will bring honor and glory to Your Name. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Genesis 3:6
1 John 5:3
Proverbs 3:5-6
22:6
Jeremiah 29:11
Matthew 7:12-15
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