Moses led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness for forty years. He was eighty years old when he started, and he saw the Promised Land from Mt. Nebo on the east side of the Jordan River. It was the end of his journey. His work was done, and he gave his most important message to Israel before he died. He said, “What I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 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?’ 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?’ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, 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. 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, 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. This day I call the heavens and the 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 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” (Deuteronomy 30:11-20).
Choose Life
Jesus’ message is an echo of Moses’ commands, to love the Lord your God and walk in His ways. It is not beyond our reach. God’s creation is our witness that He is real. No other person could do what He has done. No one can explain many of the supernatural events or the miracles that still happen today. Our God is a loving God, and He wants us to know Him and love Him. He is a personal God. He never sleeps or slumbers. He is always available when we call on Him for help. No other god is able to do that. No other god can heal, protect and provide for us. The gods of the nations surrounding the Promised Land were made by human hands or were part of creation. The god-like statues had eyes but could not see, ears that could not hear and mouths that could not speak comfort or counsel. Some of the people worshiped the sun, moon and stars because they let the people know when to plant and when to harvest. Yet, it was God who made the crops grow. It was His handiwork, His design, His provision.
We face the same choice today, to worship the Lord God and experience life or put our trust in something or someone else. Who do you choose? Do you trust yourself or your wealth more than God? Do you make decisions based on your own intelligence and skill? What happens when you fail, when your money is gone, when you lose your job or your house or your loved one? Who do you turn to? O friend, I hope you choose life. Choose the Lord God, and let Him love you and take care of you. You will find His love unconditional, His comfort in any circumstance. Yes, the God of the universe is waiting for you to turn to Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I pray that you oversee the hearts and minds of our readers. I pray they choose life. I pray they choose you, and I pray these things in Jesus’ powerful and precious name. Amen.
A Closer Walk with God 