By Pastor Don Schatz

Choose

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“…I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse,  Therefore choose life,…”
Deuteronomy 30:19. English Standard Version

Choices, choices.  Obviously, today’s devotion title is tongue in cheek.  I assume you have encountered incongruous messages yourself, as depicted in today’s image.  Every time I see this on my morning walk, I chuckle to myself.  How like too much of human communication!  We are not always sure what to believe.  Sometimes it can seem self-contradictory.  So, “Sit or Jail”.  Or so it seems.  Maybe, hopefully, not that drastic a choice!

Moses stood next to the east shore of the Jordan River a few years ago and talked to God’s people.  God’s Covenant people.  He preached a good long while.  Toward the end, we find the quotation above.  “I have set before you life and death….Choose life.”  Well, yeah!

But–there was a reason Moses spoke thus.  The Covenant people of God had repeatedly chosen death over the previous 40 years or so.  They had many times shunned life-giving obedience and faithfulness to the Covenant with the Lord God.  There would be dangers in the Promised Land, in the form of other gods, ritual fertility cults and the like.  “Choose Life”, said Moses.  God is Life.  As his Covenant people, they could choose Life.  They could be faithful to the Lord.

We are God’s Covenant people as well.  The New Covenant authored, Christ Jesus creates us anew, gives us New Life in Jesus.  Conflicting “spiritual signs” may show up in our lives.  We hear Moses.  We choose Life.  We hear Jesus, “Come to me.”  The New Life that we are follows Him.  Peter’s words ring in our souls, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life”, (John 6:68).

Choose Life today.  Follow Jesus.  Whatever conflicting “signs’ (read temptations) may occur.  Choose Life.  By the way, God will never present conflicting signs or messages to you.  His Message in Scripture is consistent and clear.  “I love you.  I gave myself for you.  I give you Life.  Come, enter into the joy of the Lord.”

Choose Life.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado