Thursday 18th September
Read Deuteronomy 30:15-16
“See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, 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.” (NIVUK)
This passage presents one of the strongest and clearest calls to decide in scripture. The options on either side are stark – life and death, good and evil. It is emphatically given in the present tense, ‘See, I set before you today…’ (v15). But it is framed as a decision that must be made each and every day.
One temptation we often face is a certain casualness about following God. We made that ‘decision’ in the past, so whatever happens today, happens in the light of the life and blessing promised by God. The urgency, the crisis so-to-speak, is past.
But Moses draws our attention to the past, present and future nature of this decision through the language he uses to describe what that decision looks like. ‘Love’ is not a momentary act, ‘walk’ has direction and effort, ‘keep’ requires constant attention.
Each moment we ‘choose life’.
Each moment we ‘live’.
“As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says,
‘In the time of my favour I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.’
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) (NIVUK)
