Deuteronomy Chapter 30: Verses 11-15 (NLT)
“This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach. It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’ It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’ No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it. “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.
Deuteronomy Chapter 30: Verses 19-20 (NLT)
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
God doesn’t make it hard to follow His ways. Its not too complicated. God puts His laws in our hearts and in our conscience. Just as the choice to follow it was entirely up to the people of Israel, the choice is up to us too. God told the people, through Moses, that the key to a full life is to follow God.
But people have been duped over the centuries to believe that choosing to follow God will restrict their life and joy. The truth is just the opposite. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John Chapter 10: Verse 10 NLT) Isn’t that what we all want? Its our choice, but we should consider carefully, and not always assume that doing what we want and ignoring God is the right one.
Dear God
Thank You that You only ever want the best for us – life lived to the full. I am grateful that life lived to the full includes a relationship with a merciful and gracious Father God. And that life is not out with my reach because Jesus made it possible. Thank You. Amen.