Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 - We Have a Choice: Life or Death.
Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 - We Have a Choice: Life or Death.
Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 (NLT2) "Today I have given you the choice
between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on
heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would
choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make
this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing
yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and
obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give
your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
The most significant choice any human being can make is the
choice between life and death; between loving and serving God, and
ignoring Him. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
The possibilities of life for every man are ultimately reduced
to two. One is to love God with all one's powers. The end result is
life in all its fullness, ultimately merging into immortality. The
alternative is a disregard of God's good pleasure, with one's life devoted
to the things of this earth. A life spent persistently in such a
way leads to eternal death. These alternatives challenge every man
and woman born into the world. [SDA Bible Commentary]
God doesn't force his will on anyone. He lets us decide whether
to follow him or reject him. This decision, however, is a
life-or-death matter. God wants us to realize this, for he would like us all
to choose life. Daily, in each new situation, we must affirm and
reinforce this commitment. [Life Application SB]
Perhaps the best analogy to the commitment God asks us to
make to Him is the wedding ceremony. The wedding comes as the
culmination of months (or better, years) of gradually coming to know another
person. In time friendship blossoms into love, or initial attraction
deepens into appreciation. Then each person realizes, "I want to spend
my life with this individual!" Then the two plan a wedding--a
ceremony to announce to one and all that two people have decided to
cleave only to each other, for better or for worse, in sickness and in
health, till death do them part....
We Christians need to realize that our initial relationship
with Jesus is intended to grow and deepen to the point at which we
too realize, "I want to commit my life to this Person who loves me."
That realization may come in church, in response to a pastor's call.
It may happen in the privacy of your own room, reading devotional
literature like this book. When the realization does come, then you too
have a decision to make. Will I commit myself fully to God, realizing
that this decision will shape my choices for the rest of my life?
[The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
What are you preoccupied with? Chances are, at any given
moment your mind is focused on a singular issue, interest, or need, and
everything else becomes peripheral. Maybe that preoccupation is the biggest
item on your to-do list, the biggest problem you face, or the biggest
desire in your heart. Whatever it is, it takes up a lot of mental
space. Our brains have limited focus.
Our preoccupations usually don't line up with Scripture. The
Word continually points us back to worship or praise or some other
Kingdom focus, but instead we're distracted by competing demands about
careers and relationships and personal plans for the future. In
themselves, these things aren't wrong. But we have a way of making them
disproportionately large. And our one true focus - God - seems to get pushed out of
the way to make room.
Why aren't we more preoccupied with Him? Why don't we wake up
each day with one pressing question: how can I love Him well? Why
aren't we more intentional about caring for the heart of the Father?
Other concerns can drain energy from our primary purpose. Unless we
fulfill our primary purpose, none of the rest falls into place or
ultimately satisfies us. But if we do fulfill that purpose - if we choose
to love God not just in theory but in the largest spaces of our
hearts and minds - He becomes more practically and powerfully present
in us and with us. He watches over our concerns when we watch over
His.
Choose to love and adore Him as your primary preoccupation,
and see what He does with the other concerns of your life. He will
fight battles, win victories, and resolve issues for those who are
focused on Him.
Lord, show me how You want to be loved. Help me know how to
care for Your heart and adore You well. Fill my thoughts with
Yourself above all else. [The One Year Experiencing God's Presence
Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
I want you to love Me, listen to My voice, and hold fast to
Me - for I am your Life. This is the way of wisdom. I am training
you to stay close to Me as you walk along perilous paths. In any
close relationship, listening and loving are vitally important - and
they are interconnected. Listen to Me as I rejoice over you with
gladness and quiet you with My Love. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you
receive My glorious Love in full measure. This will dramatically
increase your love for Me.
The world is full of dangers, so it is wise to hold tightly
to My hand. Listen - through My Spirit and My Word - while I talk
you through tough times. Pour out your heart to Me, remembering that
I am your Refuge. As you stay in dialogue with Me, I help you
handle whatever is before you. Hold fast to Me, beloved, for I am your
Life. (Deu. 30:20; Zep. 3:17; Psa. 62:8) [Jesus Today by Sarah Young]
Trusting Me is a moment-by-moment choice. My people have not
always understood this truth. After I performed miracles in the
wilderness, My chosen children trusted Me intensely - but only temporarily.
Soon the grumbling began again, testing My patience to the utmost.
Isn't it often the same way with you? You trust Me when
things go well, when you see Me working on your behalf. This type of
trust flows readily within you, requiring no exertion of your will.
When things go wrong, your trust-flow slows down and solidifies. You
are forced to choose between trusting Me intentionally or rebelling:
resenting My ways with you. This choice constitutes a fork in the road.
Stay on the path of Life with Me, enjoying My Presence. Choose to
trust Me in all circumstances. (Psa. 31:14; Exo. 1:22-25) [Jesus
Calling by Sarah Young]
Stop worrying long enough to hear My voice. I speak softly to
you, in the depths of your being. Your mind shuttles back and forth,
hither and yon weaving webs of anxious confusion. As My thoughts rise
up within you, they become entangled in those sticky webs of worry.
Thus, My voice is muffled, and you hear only "white noise."
Ask My Spirit to quiet your mind so that you can think My
thoughts. This ability is an awesome benefit of being My child, patterned
after My own image. Do not be deafened by the noise of the world or
that of your own thinking. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Sit quietly in My Presence, letting My thoughts reprogram
your thinking. (Deu. 30:20; Gen. 1:27; Rom. 12:2) [Jesus Calling by
Sarah Young]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Dorothy Sayers described hell as "the enjoyment of one's own way
forever." God says to those who die unrepentant: "You preferred your own
way to mine; you shall have it - forever." In the last analysis, all
that God does in consigning people to hell is to allow them to face
the full consequences of the choice they have made. God is resolute
in punishing sin, and hell is the final consequence of this. [Every
Day With Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotional re Luke
16:19-31]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2012/20120823-1443.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice
Seeking God Video Clip: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prophecies Decoded Sermon Series:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
