Deuteronomy
30:19-20 "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: (20) That thou
mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that
thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days:
that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
A casual reading of these verses might give the impression that God was giving
His people the choice to be His or not. But may we do a very quick review of
the declarative statements that God has already made concerning His people.
"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath
chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon
the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 7:6)
"Ye are the children of the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy 14:1)
Although there are many others that show the relationship between God and the
people to whom He is talking to, we really need go no farther than these two
verses to see that God has declared His people by His sovereign choice.
He has not changed direction as to whom He is speaking. He made the
determination that Israel was His people in whom He would show Himself to be
the only true God full of wisdom, power, and might. We can be assured
that suddenly, He is not now asking them to choose Him.
So, what is He speaking about when He says, "Choose life"? He
has given us the answer throughout the book as they were given reminders
concerning the law. Why was it important for them to "choose life?"
He had told them over and again that if they followed Him and observed
to do His commandments that it would be well with them. In other words, by
following Him they would be able to enjoy the life that God had already given
them. But, the danger of not following Him, they would suffer the consequences.
So, He says to His people, "You have the choices of life and death,
blessing and cursing" before you. Choose the joys of life by walking with
me, or suffer the weight of the world by trying to do it yourself.
Let me give a few instances of our choices given to us by our Heavenly Father.
"And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way,
walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the
left." (Isaiah 30:21) We have the choice of listening to that voice
or allowing the noise of the world and even the voice of our own imagination
taking over. There is joy and peace of life when we listen. There is confusion
and turmoil when we turn away.
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound." (Isaiah 61:1) We, as children of
God, have the choice of submitting to the very One Who is able to mend broken
hearts and open prison doors. Or we can continue to go back inside those same
prison doors and allowing them to hold us in their grasp.
Child of God, we have the blessed privilege of walking with our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us submit to Him and choose the joy of life.