Monday, November 23, 2009

Living

Deuteronomy 30:19

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

It’s funny, one of the trademark reasons for not believing in God, or for believing in him, but following your own set of rules, is that, it’s my life, I will live it how I choose. Many people believe that our decisions, our actions, our words are all just that- ours. And while we are the human “host” of all of these things, none of it belongs to us- but instead, to a much higher power.

The really great thing about our God is that he lets us choose. We can choose between our life, and the life he wishes for us to live. He is a loving and forgiving God yes, but at the same time, his instructions are clear to us about how our lives should be lived.

I was watching the Senate debate on healthcare on Saturday (yes I am a nerd) and one of the speakers used this verse to illustrate why abortion is wrong. For anyone who knows me, you know where I stand on this issue, and this blog is not intended to be about that, but hearing the verse made me look deeper at the meaning of choosing life- for the life of an unborn Child, or for the life of an already born person.

God blessed each and everyone of us today with life. He gave of us a family, friends, and an abundance of his love. He also gave us choices to make- good and bad, right and wrong. Temptation awaits every Christian who allows themselves to look for it. I myself face temptation every day- many times giving in. But the older I get and the closer I try to walk with God, I realize this temptation will always exist, it just means finding ways to cut it out of our lives. Choosing to live instead for ourselves and for God, not for the temptations placed before us. God never gives us more than we can handle- more than we can LIVE with.

You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:20