i recently posted a verse from Dueteronomy on Facebook via Twitter....yeah, i'm tech-savvy.... and as i read it again today a new truth jumped out at me. in chapter 30, the end of verse 19, it says..."choose life, that you and your children may live...". earlier in verse 15 through 18 we are given a pretty clear explanation as to what the writer means by 'choose life'. it says:
"See, i have set before you today life and good, death and evil. IF YOU OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD YOUR GOD that i command you today, by LOVING THE LORD YOUR GOD, by WALKING IN HIS WAYS, by KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS, HIS STATUTES AND RULES, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn to worship other gods and serve them, i declare to you today that you shall surely perish...I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that i have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN (offspring) may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for He is your life..."
This passage is written at a turning point in the lives of the Israelites. it signifies an end to the seemingly endless years of wandering, and a new beginning to life in the Promised Land. they have messed up SO many times!! they have been disobedient, 'stiff-necked', down-right rebellious! (sound familiar?) yet God continues to offer them second chances. (definitely sounds familiar) and here, again, he is saying..."ok, lets try this again. let me clearly lay out the rules and requirements, along with the consequences for disobedience. choose wisely". the truth i mentioned earlier that stuck out to me today is this idea that our choices don't only affect us, but they directly affect our families. "choose life, that you AND YOUR CHILDREN may live". oh my. the fact that what we choose to do, say, see, hear, spend can directly affect our families is a vivid reminder of what is at stake: their ability to choose wisely. there are moments in my days when i clearly see this at work. the way i spend my time is an example to my kids of how they should spend theirs. the words i speak to (and about) others clearly 'tells' them how to speak to and about others. and on and on...
let this be a reminder to each of us to lead by example and clearly light the way for our families to choose wisely.
"See, i have set before you today life and good, death and evil. IF YOU OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD YOUR GOD that i command you today, by LOVING THE LORD YOUR GOD, by WALKING IN HIS WAYS, by KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS, HIS STATUTES AND RULES, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn to worship other gods and serve them, i declare to you today that you shall surely perish...I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that i have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN (offspring) may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for He is your life..."
This passage is written at a turning point in the lives of the Israelites. it signifies an end to the seemingly endless years of wandering, and a new beginning to life in the Promised Land. they have messed up SO many times!! they have been disobedient, 'stiff-necked', down-right rebellious! (sound familiar?) yet God continues to offer them second chances. (definitely sounds familiar) and here, again, he is saying..."ok, lets try this again. let me clearly lay out the rules and requirements, along with the consequences for disobedience. choose wisely". the truth i mentioned earlier that stuck out to me today is this idea that our choices don't only affect us, but they directly affect our families. "choose life, that you AND YOUR CHILDREN may live". oh my. the fact that what we choose to do, say, see, hear, spend can directly affect our families is a vivid reminder of what is at stake: their ability to choose wisely. there are moments in my days when i clearly see this at work. the way i spend my time is an example to my kids of how they should spend theirs. the words i speak to (and about) others clearly 'tells' them how to speak to and about others. and on and on...
let this be a reminder to each of us to lead by example and clearly light the way for our families to choose wisely.
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