“You Choose”
“The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. . .
you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.”
Deuteronomy 28:13
I can remember hearing this statement from my childhood. The severity of this statement wasn’t clear to me at that time. To be perfectly honest, it wasn’t until I took the time to study this statement that I realized it was one of many promises given to us from God. I questioned, if I’m doing what God instructed me to do, then why am I facing one hardship after the other; why am I not seeing the fruit of my labor? Is there anyone else present who feels or ever felt this way? Well, I come this morning to remind you that as Children of God, we are not to look naturally rather; we’re to gaze spiritually. Now I know that Bible tells us “not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has enough troubles of its own.” And that’s correct. However, the Bible records futuristic promises to the just and the unjust as recorded in today’s message. But the enemy doesn’t want the saints to believe in God’s promises. He knows trusting in God’s Word removes the mental torturing experienced by the troubles of this world. Then the relevant question is how does one stand in an upright position when everything seems to go against thee? Could it possibly be through the choices that we make? In examining today’s text, we will see the answer to this question. Please turn with me again to Deuteronomy 28 and let’s look at verses 1-14.
In our text, Moses addresses the Israelites with a prophetic message from the Lord regarding them being recipients to God’s blessings (as a result of their obedience) or cursed (due to their disobedience to God). There was a contingency to this as addressed in verse 1:
1If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all His commands …
The product of choice is the results of what one sows; for one reaps what one sows. If you sow good seed then you reap good seed and likewise. This was evident in Moses life. Moses stood with the view of the Promise Land in sight but as a result of his action, he doesn’t enter it. Moses only gazes upon it. Reason being, God specifically instructed Moses to ‘speak to the rock.’ Yet, Moses struck the rock and God’s anger rose against Moses. Moses made a choice and now he had to reap the consequences of his choice made. Many of us sitting here today have made some not to wise choices. As a result of these choices, we now can offer words of hope, words of encouragement to others so they will not follow the devastating path in which we traveled. That’s how it was with Moses. He gives this prophetic message to Israel to be wise and obey God’s mandates. He informs them that obedience produces God’s blessings and disobedience will result in God’s wrath (curses). It’s the same today for we do serve the God of yesterday, today, and forevermore. We do serve a God who doesn’t change. As we journey to our Promise Land, we too (like Moses and the Israelites) must take a stand and choose to obey or disobey God’s directive.
You choose, choose wisely and choose well! Life isn’t a Flip Wilson show. Flip Wilson is known by this statement, ‘the devil made me do it.’ Oh no! We make our decisions, and then our decisions make us. Moses chose to be disobedient which resulted in him never entering the Promise Land. See church, we win or lose by what we choose.
God promised numerous blessings to the Israelites if they obeyed Him. Let’s briefly look at some of these blessings.
• Verse 3-4: Fruitfulness in their material possessions: fields, wombs, and flocks
• Verse 5: Provision of plenty of food
• Verse 6: Constant and consistent presence in all their lives
• Verse 7,10: Protection from and victory over your enemies
• Verses 8, 11-12: Unbound prosperity for you and your offspring
• Verse 9: Delegation of divine privileges
It’s interesting to note God’s blessing to the Nation of Israel wasn’t because they deserved them. Rather, God blessed them because He chose them (Read Deuteronomy 7:6-7):
6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession.
7 The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your ancestors that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
God’s blessings today are not because we are deserving of them. Oh no! Rather, it’s because He is faithful to His word. Yet in order to be a benefactor of God’s blessings it required the Israelites total obedience to God’s word as it does for us today. Moses also informed them of God’s promise of the curse. While this isn’t part of today’s message, I would be remiss not mention them.
• Verses 16–18: Yahweh promises to curse their fields, wombs, and flocks
• Verses 25–51: To hand them over to their enemies
• Verses 52–68: To bring devastating poverty upon them
Oh yes, Church! The Israelites were truly loved by God as we are today. God always desired that the Israelites be in a position of headship as He does for you and I today. But that headship status is highly contingent upon one’s adherence to God’s order of obedience. Which brings me back to the today’s question, how does one stand in an upright position when everything seems to go against thee? The answer is simple; it’s a matter of choice. Choice isn’t always easy but choice is a must. One must weigh the choice against the result. God said in verse 13:
“And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath.”
As stated, God purposed the Nation of Israel to be the world’s leading (head) nation. He intended that the nation of Israel should be above and not beneath. However, the Israelites rebelled against God and were disobedient to Him which ultimately placed them under (as the tail) subjection of foreign rulers. Time and time again, Israel suffered due to their disobedience. I know there are times when the situation appears to be almost impossible. Before you can get over one thing something else occurs. It seems there’s no end to whatever you are enduring. It seems like the sky is falling and you simply can’t get ahead. You try your hardest to live godly but you feel there’s no other choice but to go against God’s word. But, I ‘m here to tell you, I warn you as Moses warned the Israelites, don’t do it.
Believe me, it’s a matter of choice. We must believe God’s effectual word:
• “All things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
• “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart
and lean not to thy own understanding” (Proverbs 3:7).
• “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Psalms 37:23).
• “Don’t be afraid, God will provide” (Genesis 50:20).
• “Do not fear, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you” (Isaiah 41:10).
I watch Joseph Prince Ministries on television. Pastor Prince gave a good illustration to being the head and not the tail. Allow me to share this illustration with you. Pastor Prince said, ““Beloved, when God makes you the head, you will end up on top of your circumstances. Even Joseph when was a slave, he was the head and not the tail for God prospered everything that he did. “But Pastor Prince, when I look at my life, there are times when I am up and there are times when I am down. Yet, the Bible says that I will be above only. I don’t understand this.” What you are going through is only temporal. Keep believing that you are above only and not beneath, even when you have hit rock bottom. It is God who always causes you to triumph in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14) You cannot cause yourself to triumph. Only God can and He has promised in His Word that you will be the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath. So believe His Word in spite of your circumstances and expect to see victory!””
Our choices birth life or death. So, choose to obey God’s Word and be the ‘head’ or choose to disobey God resulting as the ‘tail.’ We’re not to look to the left or to the right. In other words, we’re not to deviate, stray away, simply do exactly as God instructs. For example, God said:
• You shall have no other gods before me . . . then put God first in everything
• You shall not make or worship idols … then serve no false gods, religions
• You shall not misuse the Lord’s name … then reverence, respect God holiness
• Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy … then whatever day is your Sabbath, honor God
• Honor your father and mother … then respect them to acquire a long life
• You shall not murder … then respect the gift of life that’s here like a vapor
• You shall not commit adultery . . . then don’t cheat on your groom (God the Father)
• You shall not steal . . . then don’t take what’s not yours
• You shall not give false testimony . . . then don’t lie in order to gain
• You shall not covet . . . then put your hands to the plow and work for what you want
• Do not be drunken with wine… then don’t drink if you have a drinking problem
• Owe no man nothing but love … then even when they are unlovable, love them anyhow
• Bring your tithes and offerings . . . then put that want (not your need) back
• Pray without ceasing . . . then pray daily for:
*Battles are won in prayer
*Sin is conquered in prayer
*Discouragement is defeated in prayer
*Enemies become your footstool in prayer
*Poverty turns into abundance in prayer
*God is exalted in prayer
We are not perfect beings so there will be times when we fall short. The Apostle Paul said, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Sin is crouching at my door” (Romans 7:15-20).
But God! Can somebody say, ‘But God!’ See, God is omniscient. He knows the end from the beginning. My brothers and sisters, God fully knows how each and every one of us will respond to His plan and purpose. Now this doesn’t give us free reign to blatantly be disobedient to God like Moses did by striking the rock. No! No! Rather, God is a god of free-will who allows us to make our own decisions but there is a cost in making the decision. In other words, God will do absolutely nothing in changing the picture of forcing our will to do right or forcing the will of any nation to live holy.
How we choose will affect our eternal destiny as it did with Moses and the Israelites. Our choices will:
• Affect our lifestyle and behavior right now.
• Reveal our relationship with God whereby we possess a sacred privilege and solemn responsibility to live godly.
Listen too many saints only see Christ as their Savior, but not as Lord of their lives. Importantly, we believers must realize that Christianity is a life of service and submission. You choose whom you will submit to. The devil will make sure we face trials of various kinds and these trials often cause much suffering. Who likes to feel pain, suffering. So, the devil will place sinful temptation before us which is contrary to God’s word. The submitting to temptation is dangerous for God never tempts us to do opposite of His word. God said “you are the head.” Those in headship virtually have no reason to sin because they possess surmountable blessings from God. This is not so with those who are the tail, who are curse. These individuals, at every opportunity, will sin just to sustain their basic needs. Temptation is sin and sin is a killer. However God’s word states in Job 10:15, “Those who learn from their suffering, God delivers from their suffering.”
No one suffered like Christ. With that thought in mind in this season of Lent, my brothers and sisters, it’s very important to reflect on God’s faithfulness and love displayed to us. Remember, Christ delivered you and me from the slavery of sin (in the tail position) when He died on the cross. Because of that, we choose to live the righteous life that God desires for us as the head. You choose the separation from worldly sin and evil because God is holy. You choose to “let nothing separate you from the love of God.” You choose! You make the choice to live as the head or as the tail, to live godly or ungodly. You choose!
Understand this important fact. Our disobeying God’s order doesn’t stop Him from fulfilling His Word in allowing curses to fall upon us. We reap what we sow, remember. He permits the curses solely because He is a promise keeper and not because He’s being spiteful. Our arms are too short to box with the Head Chief, God and our minds are too finite to compare to God’s infinite wisdom and knowledge. So choose to stand in an upright position regardless!!
Stand upright and know that you “are the head and not the tail” who will “always be at the top and not at the bottom.” Stand upright and receive:
• His blessing of being healed from every disease, infirmity and sickness
• His blessing of His lovingkindness
• His blessing of His forgiving mercy
• His blessing of His bountiful grace
Stand upright and be thankful for God’s love towards us. Remember, “God so love the world that He gave His one and only begotten son.” His son, Jesus Christ bridged the gap of our sinfulness. Christ took upon himself our curses so that we might receive God’s promised blessings which only Jesus Christ alone merited on the cross.
How does one stand in an upright position when everything seems to go against thee? Make the right choice and live godly. Church, we all go through trying times for that’s just life. But nothing we go through could possibly outweigh the suffering and agony which Christ endured on the cross. So, I come today remind of God’s blessings and curses. It’s no joke, they are for real. Choose wisely and constantly remind yourself as a Child of the Most High God, I am the high and not the tail. I am above every situation, circumstance, test that the enemy throws my way. The devil can’t keep me down because I am victorious through Jesus Christ shed blood.
Say with me: “REFUSE TO BE THE TAIL WHEN GOD STATES, I AM THE HEAD!”
