Life or Death: the Power to ChooseIhe Atụ

Day 7: Life Choice

“See, today I have set before you LIFE AND PROSPERITY, DEATH AND DISASTER. What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, so that you may live and multiply. Then the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away, so that you do not obey, but are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, then I declare to you today that you will surely perish and that you will not prolong your days in the land which you are crossing the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth to witnesses against you this day, that I have set before you LIFE AND DEATH, BLESSING AND CURSING. Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

‭‭Deuter­­onomy‬ ‭30‬:‭15‬-‭20‬ ‭

Friends, the Lord lays it out very plainly and very simply. He gives us the opportunity to choose life over death. From the polarizing topics like abortion, to the simplistic and seemingly minor temptations of the flesh, we are inevitably presented with choices. There has always been, and will always be, a choice of either life and prosperity or death and destruction. That is the nuance of free will. God is always offering an “if, then” statement of contingency or a cause and effect scenario. He is clear about rewarding our obedience, but He is also crystal clear about the ramifications of our selfishness and disobedience.

Yet, we regularly fall victim to our flesh and our feelings. We lose perspective and fall into traps of instant gratification. As an only child, it was not uncommon for me to expect all my needs to be met at exactly the right time. I was extremely deficient in mastering the discipline of delayed gratification. Extending myself an element of grace, I understand most children fall into that category. The example, though, serves as a metaphor for the human condition that often appeals to self.

Daily choices of spirit-lead behavior are a microcosm of the bigger perspective of eternity. When we choose life in our repetitive, daily routine, we are operating in a spiritual mindset that honors the Father. He who is faithful with little is faithful with much. When God can trust us with small decisions, He will trust us with more responsibility to demonstrate faithful stewardship in many other significant areas.

It all begins with a choice. Will you choose life or will you choose death? Will you commit to life-giving thoughts, words, and actions? Will you choose life and righteousness over sin and death? He faithfully presents us with several escape routes as exit strategies from the lure of the enemy. No temptation is uncommon to man and the devil’s tactics are consistently persistent. Although the battle is ongoing, we win in the end. We can choose authority over our flesh and we can choose victory by choosing to live in the Spirit.

Get Honest:

What choices do you need to make that honor God and what choices do you need to avoid that lead to a spiritual death?