Scripture:
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 NKJV
[15] “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, [16] in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. [17] But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, [18] I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. [19] I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; [20] 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 which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Observation:
The first 5 books of the bible are written by the Holy Spirit, who used the hand of Moses to do so. Deuteronomy is a story of how things happened after the exodus from Egypt and the 40-year journey through the desert right to the edge of what GOD had promised HIS chosen people. Moses had led them across the Red Sea, and they had gained a lot of ground at this point despite all the grumbling and complaining. Now, here they stood at the edge of another obstacle. The Jordan River. It’s water rushing by as Moses addresses the crowd. Having made a few bad choices in his life, he understood how those very choices have an impact on how things turn out. Knowing how far choosing to obey the LORD had brought him. He wanted to pass that knowledge on to his fellow Israelites. So he stood there looking at the crowd. Saying to them, GOD has given you a choice. HE has not made you do anything. But has given you free will. You can choose to live or you can choose to die. But whatever you do, it’s your choice. If you choose to do what the LORD has laid out, you choose to live, and if you choose not to and do your own thing, you choose the very opposite of life. When I read this, I think about all those people looking at Pharoah’s army coming towards them at the edge of the Red Sea. Saying to Moses, why didn’t you just leave us in Egypt? were there not enough graves there? Moses knew that they could have stayed if they wanted to. But GOD had a plan for them, and it was bigger than captivity and slavery. Making bricks for Pharoah had a purpose, but it was also their past. However, given the choice and in the face of opposition. They would choose death. Bringing them out of slavery was an adjustment they had no choice there, and they had to do what they were told. Now, standing at the edge of what GOD had promised them. They could do good and choose life or do bad and choose death. Looking at verse 16, it would appear that it comes down to whether or not you love GOD. If you did, you would follow HIS laws and judgments, therefore choosing life and blessings, and well, if you didn’t, the opposite was true. GOD was about to give them great promises, and with great promises, cones great responsibility. The land of milk and honey was a land of more than enough. Knowing that they would make the right choices was important. Choosing to do right meant that they were choosing to trust GOD for their provisions and protection. But choosing to do wrong meant that they were choosing to trust in what they could do instead of what GOD would do for them. The benefits of doing right far outweigh the cost of doing things their own way.
Application:
I think it’s important to understand the principles of free will. In order to do so, we have to understand that we have to stop blaming GOD for the things that happen as the result of us choosing to do the wrong thing. I have been on both sides of this fence. The side of I’m going to live how I want to, and the side of I’m going to live the way GOD has asked me to. Living the way I wanted to honestly never brought anything good to my life. The problem is that the enemy is very crafty, and he is the father of deception. When I was living, how I wanted to there always seemed to be done kind of chaos or calamity. Addictions, jail, homelessness. In a sense, death at its very best. But when I would do my best to do right and follow the LORD, things would turn around. I’m not saying I would not face things, but when I did, I knew that HE was with me, and it would be alright. I want us to remember the day. The father of lies rose up against the very creator of heaven and earth. In a sense, he said they will worship me if you give them a choice. His pride got the best of him, and it cost him a spot next to the father in heaven. But let’s look at how that played out. GOD looked through time at that very moment before anything was created and saw a need for a savior. A savior that would make a choice to give HIS life so that we could have life and have it to the full. Then HE started creating light starts, sun and moon animals, and man knowing that a choice would have to be made. Setting us in the garden, we made the wrong choice and left to ourselves we will do the same over and over. That day, I’m Heaven created a moment in the garden where free will would show our sinful nature. We can not be left to our own. We have to have a counselor, a helper, someone to guide us into the right choices. We can choose life but we have to have help. To this very day, we are still giving a choice. We can choose to obey the Holy Spirit, which is given to us on the day of salvation as a seal. To show the world our love for GOD as the sanctification process happens in our lives and we begin to make the right choices according to what we know from the word of GOD. Oh, we can still make wrong choices if we want to, and there are still consequences for them. But we do not have to live like that. GOD wants to move us into the promised land, and HE wants to do that here on earth as well as in heaven. But HE is not going to give us something we are not going to be able to manage. The letter James wrote tells us to count it all joy when we face various kinds of trials. Trials mean choices choices to follow GOD’S instructions or not to follow GOD’S instructions. Those choices either shape our faith or destroy it. They either give us life or bring us closer to death. Salvation is a free gift given to us by making a choice to follow Jesus as our LORD and SAVIOR, but how we live that out here on earth depends on the choices we make. What I’m telling you is that the promised land can be obtained here on earth as well as in heaven choosing to follow GOD and love HIM with your choices to do the right thing, which releases HIS blessings of life and abundance. He will not give you what you can not handle. HE just won’t. Because you will just squandar it away. HIS promises are yes and amen. My point is that the choices you make determine how you live here on earth as well as in heaven. Take a close look at what we call the LORDS prayer. What HE asked for is GOD will to be done here as well as in heaven. When that is our desire, GOD’S promises will flow.
Prayer:
Father, I know that it can be hard to understand for some of us. But I pray this morning that our love for you shows in the way we conduct ourselves here on earth. I know that you thought about us before you ever created one thing here on earth. You knew exactly what it would take for us to get to where we are right now. We may be standing at the edge of a choice… and if we are, I pray that you would guide us with your living word to make the right one. You have brought us right to the edge of your promises, and we want to experience them. There is no turning back. We choose to believe that as we press on, you will make a way. Just guide us in all that we do, fill us with your Holy Spirit, and write your word on our hearts so that we know and hear your voice. Give us the willingness and ability to obey you without question. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.