In this era of post-truth, people like to think they do not need to be held accountable for the choices they make. How many times have you heard someone say, “It wasn’t my fault” when they are describing something that didn’t go their way? Owning up to our choices is often hard to do, especially when we make bad choices. But we are faced with choices every day. Our choices are important. Choosing the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus is the most important choice, yet many people refuse the gift. Choosing our spouse is among the most important choices we make, but it also is very difficult considering the divorce rate. All this underscores the importance of being intentional and wise about our choices.
Deuteronomy 11:26 begins with, “See I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing, if you listen to the laws of ADONAI your God that I am giving you today; and the curse, if you don’t listen to the laws of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way I am ordering you today and follow other gods that you have not known.” The Hebrew word for see is re’eh, and is in the singular form meaning, “you see!” However, the pronoun in “before you today,” is plural, meaning that each person is to see that the choice of blessing or curse will affect others as well as themselves. God gives each of us the opportunity to choose what path we take, and it is our own responsibility to choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:19).
The theme of choosing is repeated over and over in scripture. In Deuteronomy the people will be given a tangible example of this when they enter the land and stand between Mount Girazim (the blessings), and Mount Evial (the curses). It took them 40 years to get to this point, and the blessings they encountered in the land were short lived and will not be completely fulfilled until the time of Messiah. In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” Herein, is the intersection of obedience and choice–choosing to follow Christ in obedience to his commands leads to a life of peace and blessing. While we may not feel we are at peace or blessed in our lives, the peace of knowing the blessing of eternal life is the ultimate.
Deuteronomy 30:19 reinforces the blessing of choosing “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” Joshua 24:15 says, “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Our choices can mean life or death, both here on earth and eternally. Our choices can mean blessing or cursing. God has given us the freedom to choose and he has explained the consequences of our choices—bad or good. Let us in all things choose wisely.
