19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Life is full of choices. We really don’t realize how many choices are made every day just within a few minutes of time. The fact that you are reading this right now was a choice. (It is a choice that was guided by divine desire, but it was the choice you made.)
It is very important to realize that choices always have consequences. We often think of consequences as always being bad, but it simply means that there will be a result from what you have chosen. It may be bad but that is based on your choice. The choice determines what happens next. (For example, choosing to follow Jesus Christ will not result in a bad consequence. It may be difficult, but not bad.) This is the point of the above verse in Deuteronomy.
God told the nation of Israel that the choice between life and death, blessing and cursing had been set before them. This choice was not being forced upon them but was being presented. But notice closely that God tells them what the right choice to make would be. He said, “choose life” and then he tells them what the consequence would be for such a choice. “Both thou and thy seed may live.” God does not arbitrarily place a choice before us without also telling us the right choice to make. He finds no pleasure in our wrong choices, and he would never guide us in the direction of sin, but he will tell us the right way. The word of God is “instruction in righteousness.”
(2 Timothy 3:16)
In a day of constant choices the question is, what are we choosing? Who are we listening to? Who are we choosing to follow? Are we choosing life in Christ or are we choosing death through sin? Are we following the world or is the word of God the “lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”? (Psalm 119:105) You may say, I haven’t made up my mind yet. That is also a choice. Sitting on the fence is a choice. Listen to the words of Joshua when he said, “choose you this day whom ye will serve” and make the choice that he made when he said, “but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)
In Christ’s Service,
Bro. Adrian Moore
2 Cor. 4:5
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