Choosing Life
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in
his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes and his
judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy
God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Deuteronomy 30:15,16
Read Deuteronomy 30:11-20
Moses had wandered in the wilderness with the people of Israel for forty
years, but the time came when he had to leave them. In his parting address,
Moses encouraged the people to follow the ways of the Lord. In fact, it was
more than an encouragement; it was a command. The temptation to serve
other gods would be great. In fact, Israel’s history reveals that time and
again they worshiped gods other than Jehovah.
The danger of serving false gods should not be minimized today. We are
inclined to set our affections on objects and people as idols; they take the
place of the Lord in our lives. Your work and career can become your idol
if they become more important than the service of the Lord. You can also
nullify God’s place by relying on yourself and resorting to your own insights.
Are there individuals you look up to and think: If I could be like them, I’d
have it made? They then have become your idols.
Moses gave Israel the command to choose the Lord, to choose life. This
choice involves loving and listening to Him and obeying His voice. The Lord
also demands this of you, and it ought to bring you to your knees before
Him. Pray to the Lord; say with the hymn: Take my life and let it be, consecrated,
Lord, to Thee.
Making the right choice, one that is for God, means life. If you consecrate
your life to the Lord you will experience true freedom and lasting peace.
Thought: What idols do you have in your life?
Psalter 233: 4,6 (based on Psalm 86)
O Lord, incline Thy ear to me, My voice of supplication heed;
In trouble I will cry to Thee, For Thou wilt answer when I plead.
In all Thy deeds how great Thou art! Thou one true God, Thy way make clear;
Teach me with undivided heart To trust Thy truth, Thy Name to fear.
