I want to focus on verse 19, ‘I have set before you life and death…blessing and cursing…
We see by this scripture that it’s God’s permissive will that comes into play…He will always give us a choice…but He will never force anything on us…let’s read the rest of that verse again…‘…therefore, choose life.
I’ve said before..He not only gives us a, b, c, or d…but He gives us the answer. Church…life is the answer!
Of course, we can choose the path we want to take, but if we choose the wrong one…it want be long before we start becoming cold and indifferent…not the life the Lord wants for us at all.
Jonah was a good example…God had a plan for Jonah to go preach in Ninevah, but he didn’t want to go God’s way…he wanted to go his way. You know our life always goes better, and we’re always happier when we will follow the Lord’s plan.
But Jonah was determined to go a different direction. In verse 3 of Chapter 1, it says ‘…he did rise up to flee into Tarshish, from the presence of the Lord’.
Well, he started off well…he rose up…then was the time for a good choice, the moment he got up..but he chose something very different…
It’s never a good idea to leave the presence of the Lord. After that it records that he went down to Joppa…then he went down into the ship…then he went down into the sides of the ship…
Get the picture? He continued to go down…down…down…and we all know what else is down.
Life can be a beautiful thing when we choose life. Does that mean we won’t have problems? Nope! Because we live in a sin cursed world, bad things happen to good peopleb but with the Lord our life will always be the happier way.
We still have to face the trials that come our way with all the faith that we have, knowing that joy comes in the morning. We can be sure that when bad times come, that it will get better, because the Lord will be there to help us.
We can choose to live life to the fullest…believe God’s Word…and stand on His promises…or we can choose death…that’s full of depression and despair…which is really no life at all…it’s just existing.
We should live such a positive life while we’re here…touching lives for the better…that when we’re gone, they’ll remember us as someone that was fun to be around…someone they liked to spend time with.
In Proverbs 8:35 the Lord tells us ‘For whoso findeth Me, findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord.’
When Jesus becomes real in our lives…when we can surrender all…that’s when we find life, because He is life…and without Him there is nothing but death.
Even after we’ve made Him Lord, we’re still going to make mistakes…bad decisions…wrong choices…but if we’re repentant, and ask for forgiveness, He is faithful and just to forgive us, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The Lord came to this earth to die for us on the cross..so that we could have life…and have it more abundant…
You might say ‘Well, I’d die for the Lord ’. But I say to you…He doesn’t want you to die for Him…He wants you to live for Him!
You might be thinking…’Why am I not living the abundant life?’ Why is it that I’m not enjoying the blessings of God? It could be because you’re not receiving it…you’re letting doubt creep in…feelings of unworthiness…
But if you have received Jesus as Savior and Lord…you are a son or daughter of God! Don’t let the devil tell you that you don’t deserve a happy life…that you’re damaged goods…that God can never forgive all you’ve done…
That’s lies from the pits of hell, don’t listen to the enemy…he will try to take you down with him.
When we take God’s Word and apply it to our lives…it is pleasing to the Lord.
I am closing with these words from Paul in Galatians 2:20
‘I am crucified with Christ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’
I pray that today you will ‘choose life’.
