Life choices

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TODAY'S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 30:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "Now choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life." Deuteronomy 30:19,20

The Israelite's choices with their resultant consequences are spelled out clearly here. It's hard to understand why they habitually turned away from right actions that would lead to God's favour, choosing instead to defy and offend Him.

Were these black-and-white choices just for them? Or do we face the same challenge? In other words, does the way we live and love God impact not only our eternal destiny but our life on earth?

My experience tells me we will never be able to predict or control God's actions (we've all seen what we consider to be bad things happen to good people). But we do have choices and control what we do. We can do what is required: "Love the LORD your God."

I love the cross-reference given to expand on "love the LORD your God" in the NIV Study Bible:

"Love the LORD your god with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength" - Deuteronomy 6:5.

That's loving Him with our emotions (heart), intellect (soul) and strength (our physical selves). That's pretty much all of us!

When we "hold fast' to God with all of our being in those ways, I believe we can have every confidence that God will deal with us in ways that are best for us.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to continually choose to love You with all of my being, even when I don't understand the happenings in my life. Amen.

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Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures quoted in this meditation are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.