You Choose

“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.