Do You Choose Life?

 Prayer – Lord God, I believe in You…and pray that Your name be honored.

Love the Lord Your God
Choose Life
Baptism in the Jordan River
Israel

See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." Deuteronomy 30:15-20 NKJV (Underlined for emphasis.)

Meditate. Consider Moses’ orders to the Israelites. Is it the same for you?

 

Love the Lord your God…where have you heard that before? God had Moses remind the children of Israel that they were to choose life, to love the Lord their God and he gave them instructions for their lives as they were about to enter into the Promised Land. But Moses wasn’t going with them. He had rebelled against God—so he wasn’t allowed to enter the Land that God had sworn to give to His chosen people.

Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? ... So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the LORD, and He was hallowed among them. - Numbers 20:2-4, 6-13 NKJV (Underlined for emphasis.)

Moses and those children of Israel who didn’t trust and believe God didn’t get to go into the Promised Land. Moses was a friend of God who served the Lord for over forty years. He was a good man who believed in God—but he wasn’t allowed to go into this special place that God had for His chosen people. What did Moses do that upset God?  He did not believe God. He did not show respect to God and show the Israelites that God is Holy and to be set aside…to be honored. He didn't speak to the rock; he struck it.

 

If Moses was a devout believer and faithful follower, but didn’t get to go into the Promised Land, how will we ever get to go into the next Promised Land—Heaven? Will Moses someday be in Heaven? It is likely that he will. I’m sure God has forgiven him for not trusting and honoring Him at Meribah. God has promised that those who believe in Jesus will have eternal life (John 3:16). We can only believe and trust. Have you done that? Are you a faithful follower? Can you believe and trust in God daily?

 

Verse of Salvation ~ For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Mark 13:19-20 NKJV

 

© 2024 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted. 

New King James Version, © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Harper Collins Publisher. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

New Living Translation (NLT) copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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