Good morning! Another day & another opportunity to live for the Lord and serve him!
Deuteronomy chapter 30.
This chapter kind of hit home with me. God has spoken to the Israelites and basically already knows they're going to walk away from him. He knows they will be disobedient to his laws and commands. He knows they will get distracted with other gods.
BUT…. this is the good news….. He tells them that if they will return to him and will again obey with all their Heart and souls, that he will restore them back into a right relationship with him. God says it doesn't matter how far you have fallen away from me, I will restore you and I will cause you to prosper again!
God knows that I will fall and make mistakes. He knows that! That frustrates me. I get frustrated with the Israelites lives because I can't see why they would get distracted away from God, but I do it too. I love the fact that God will take me back completely and restore me when I realize how stupid I am 4 walking away from Him but come back to Him.
I experienced this last week. I preached Sunday and the week before my heart was struggling with things and it became so focused on the thing, that didn't matter, that I lost focus of God. I felt convicted and felt God say, he would not bless my Ministry and preaching if my focus is elsewhere. I truly repented before God and asked for his forgiveness and declared my desire to follow him and be used by him. My heart changed. I preached Sunday and I saw two miracles of two people's lives plus several people said the message was excellent. I don't say this to brag about me but the brag about God and his love and faithfulness to us. If we keep God as our number one focus he will work in through our lives. If you have turned your heart from God, come back because he will restore you no matter what you've done and how far you've fallen. And he will again use you! Thank you Lord!
What a beautiful chapter!! I picture Moses after 29 chapters of preaching and reminding the Israelites of God’s commandments … he pauses, sighs, and looks them in the eye and shares his soul. He basically says that you know what to do; you know what is true. Love God, keep His commandments … choose life. It’s as simple as that. For us, we also know what is true – we need to confess that Jesus is risen from the dead (to save us from our sins) and ask Him to be our Lord and Savior.
The Palestinian Covenant reminds us that God has a plan for the Jewish people and He’s not through with them yet. God will be faithful to every covenant, every promise He makes. Some of His promises to us:
Romans 8:28 everything is working together for good
Romans 8:1 there’s no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus
Romans 8:38, 39 nothing can separate you from God’s love
Can we count on these promises? Paul tells us in Romans 9 thru 11 to look at the Jew – for just as God will be faithful to the Jew, He’ll be faithful to you.
Choose life!
We read these words in verse 19 of chapter 30, “…I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life…”
I was thinking about how God gives the choice of life or death. He wants us to choose life, but He doesn’t force us to make that choice. When we choose Jesus, we choose life.
We read more about this in John 11:25-26.
Jesus said to her (Martha), “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
It’s a matter of faith. We are set free from sin and the wages of sin when we choose Jesus!
Romans 6:23 tells us this. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Those who don’t choose life are automatically choosing death because of their sin. This isn’t a choice where you can choose neither or some other option like voting for a political party or candidate. It’s either choosing Jesus to take the punishment for your sin or choosing yourself to take that punishment.
There is no other way except through Jesus. The Bible makes that clear in John 14:6.
Jesus said to him (Thomas), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
We don’t have to be condemned to death even though that’s what we deserve as the consequence for our sin!
Check out Romans 8:1-11.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
No matter who you are or what you have done in the past, you can choose life by choosing Jesus. It’s not too late, but don’t delay. None of us are guaranteed to have another day to be on this earth to make that choice. It’s a decision that each person has to make for themselves on their own. Will you choose life?
May those of us who have chosen life make the best use of our time that we have here to let others know about choosing life and may we keep our minds set on the Spirit.
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
It’s right there!!!!…what do I choose to do….reach for it? Or come up with an excuse? It’s Not beyond my reach!!!
14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
God has place the word in my heart , these words come from my mouth , satan tries to keep me busy so I don’t obey…
Get behind me satan.
GOD wins.
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