Choose Life

Yesterday, I attended the morning services at the church my brother and sister-in-law attend. It was "Sanctity of Life" Sunday, and this is the day that this church chooses to give a "blessing" to those babies born the previous year. It was a beautiful service, and I was blessed to be surrounded by my family. The minister spoke from Deuteronomy, and he spoke on "Critical Choices" that we as Christians must make. We were admonished to "choose life." I was convicted by the passages in Deuteronomy that I must "choose life." We are each given a choice between "death and destruction" and "life and prosperity." I for sure want to choose the life part! But each day that I live to please self, or focus on my "misery" instead of what God is doing in my life, I am choosing death and destruction. He promises that when He asks for our obedience, it is not too difficult or our of reach. And when we choose obedience, we choose life. This passage also expresses that this choice, thought made by each individual to himself, also affects our children. This passage promises blessing. And if there is anything that God has taught me over the past few months, it is that even if no one else in my life will keep promises-God always keeps His promises.

Deuteronomy 30

11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"

13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask,

"Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"

14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.

16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient,

and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,

18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.

You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.

For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.