“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
Now choose life…” Deuteronomy 30:19
Dear Father,
As my eyes open this morning in my still darkened bedroom, I am presented with choices. Your outstretched hand offers life and the world’s close-fisted hand offers curses. It would seem obvious that I would be a fool not to choose Your hand of life. But I, like the rest of humankind, often greedily, hungrily, angrily, sullenly, pridefully choose cursing and death. I choose death every time I sin for sin always brings about its own slow, torturous demise. I may think I have gotten away with something but payday always comes. So often it comes in broken friendships, families splitting, bank accounts gone bankrupt, or even in puffed up over-inflated egos that push away brotherhood. I must remember that I will reap my own harvest and I will either haul in basket loads of sweet blessings or drag in burlap bags of hatred, bitterness, envy, jealousy, and all the trappings that go with it. Help me to choose life which means choosing You Jesus, for You told us that You are the Way, the Truth, and oh yes the Life! Help me choose life through the words I say, bringing hope and encouragement to those needing it. Help me choose life through my actions, repaying good for evil and putting the needs of others ahead of myself. Help me choose life whether I am in a traffic jam or rendering first aid to a child on a playground. Help me choose life whether I am sitting in a work cubicle typing away or standing over a kitchen sink. I pray You also help me offer life to others even if they don’t accept it. Help me to keep extending my open hand as an expression of Your open hand to me. Grace and mercy, righteousness and peace, both offered in two opened arms to the prodigals of the world. May all of us be mindful that there really are only two choices set before us – life and blessings or death and curses. For this one moment You have given us, may we deliberately choose life – choose Jesus.
Love,
Penny
