Deuteronomy 30:16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep His commandments, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
Love God, did we really need to be reminded to love God? Obviously we had to be reminded otherwise God wouldn't have commanded it. Why did He feel the need to remind us to love Him? Could it be because we get so distracted and caught up in ourselves that we lose sight of His love for us? Could it be because we don't realize how important it is to God that we love Him? You see love is not a feeling, it is a decision. Every morning you wake up and decide whether or not you're going to love your spouse or you children. So what God is saying to me is, I need to decide whether I will truly love God with all my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength. The choice is mine to make, but so are the consequences if I chose not to. You see unless we're able to fully love God, we won't fully be able to obey Him.
Obedience...why is that word so hard for us to hear? As children we are taught to obey our parents and if we don't there will be consequences. As employees we are coached to obey our boss or else there will be consequences. As law abiding citizens we are obligated to obey the law or there will be consequences. We humans don't always like to obey the law but the consequences are much worse. Yes sometimes obedience can be painful. We may have to do without some things that make us feel good temporarily, but sometimes, heck most times, its for our own good and safety. We need boundaries, we need structure, we need laws. Without laws, this world would be worse than it is now. Personally I would rather obey and do without some things than deal with the consequences of living without laws.
Deuteronomy 30:17-18 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
Want to feel good? Want to live without restrictions, boundaries or laws? Go ahead and try it. You may feel good for a little while but trust me it will always come back to bite you. I have lived long enough to know that the hangover in the morning isn't worth it. A jail cell is not a home I want to live in, do you? Regrets can fill a person and make them bitter, that is not a life I want to live so I choose to obey. For me there is no other way to live. I choose to live my life loving God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind. I choose to obey God's law and listen to His still small voice. I choose to believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I choose life.
Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call the heavens and the earth to witness about you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live."
The choice is ours to make. It's up to you whether you choose life or death, blessings or curses. I don't know about you but I want to be blessed by God. I want to celebrate life. I really can't imagine choosing death or curses but many do everyday. I hear you now, "I love God, I don't worship or bow down to any idols." Really? Do you spend more time with God or watching TV? Do you know more about the Kardashians or God? Who is your hero? Michael Jordan or Jesus Christ? Do you spend more time listening to music that makes you dance or music that makes you think about God?
Listen I fail this every day. I choose to love God, I choose to obey Him, but then the enemy entices me with distractions and meaningless junk that draws my attention away from Him. I do my best to listen to christian music, to read books that motivate me to become a better follower of Jesus Christ and I try to watch TV programs that connect me to God through good clean story lines. Sometimes my best isn't good enough but than God reminds me that He loves me and forgives me. For me, life spent with God is a blessing I can't deny. The blessings I have in my life cannot be bought with money. I have health, I have peace and I have joy. That's why I choose Jesus Christ. I choose life. I choose blessings.
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