Day 22: Choose Life

We are now going to focus on another choice or decision that we have to make: it is the choice between life and death. Perhaps you didn’t realize that this, too, is an area where the decision is yours: that you have to choose between life and death.

The choice between life and death was forcefully presented to Israel by Moses in Deuteronomy, chapter 30, verses 15–19. Moses is speaking to the whole nation of Israel and he says this:

“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; [Notice there are two pairs of opposites. One pair is life and good, the other is death and evil. And then he explains the choice:] In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: [notice that choice leads to living.] and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land wither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish [that’s death], and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, wither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed [or thy descendants] may live.”

Hear those words: “...therefore choose life.” Life is a choice.

Moses sets before Israel two pairs of opposites: life and good (and the other version of good is blessing)—so it’s life and good and blessings or death and evil and a curse. And we are obliged to choose just as Israel was. Neutrality is ruled out.

Notice how momentous the choice is. When Moses presented this to Israel, he said, “I call heaven and earth to record...” This was a choice that was made in the full view of the universe. The denizens of heaven were witnesses of this choice. You see, that’s so solemn. Sometimes we make choices we don’t realize that God and the angels and Satan and his demons are all looking on to see what choice we’re going to make. We have to really take care to make the right choice!