LEARNING DAILY

Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Did you pick out the word Pastor Jonathon Moore spoke about? Yes, that is correct; he spoke about choices. He said, “Your choices have greater impact than just for you.” Moses wrote, “love and obey the Lord”. That means Believers are, “to listen to Him, getting direction and guidance from reading His Word. The written Word is God speaking to those who take the time to read it. By reading the Word of God, one can hear God’s voice. Hold fast to Him in both the good times and the bad times, when He answers and when He does not. Choosing to do this impacts not only you but your family.” (JM). This is important because “family is God’s number one plan to perpetuate His plan” (JM).

Pastor Moore’s message was about the importance of family. “Parents must choose intentionally” (Point #1). Moses said to choose between life and death – today. This is a powerful statement about being obedient to what God says in His Word, about how Believers are to live their lives. Choosing to be obedient to His commands, Believers align themselves with His will which opens them to receiving His blessings. To choose to not live in obedience results in spiritual death and curses because there is no connection with God. Think of it in this way. We have an app on our phones that gives the “best” routes to a given location. We can choose to follow the directions it gives or decide that the direction we want to take will be better. That is a choice we make.

“Your choices shape your family’s future” (Point#2). “Parents, your adult children are still learning by watching you” (JM). Well, I am not sure that is so, anymore. Pastor Moore said, “What you ‘wear’ spiritually your children will likely wear.” The thought behind his statement is that if you have committed to be in church every weekend, your children will commit to be in church. If you talk in a manner that God approves, your children will do so. If our family sees that we pray, we read our Bible daily, that decision will be passed on. “Your decisions become your family’s decisions. You cannot control everything.” (JM).

Using the app for directions as an example, consider the choices you are making each day. Are you choosing to align your life with what God says in His Word? Are you actively seeking to avoid choices that cause you to go in a direction different from what God is saying? By not following the directions given, you can find yourself going out of your way or sitting in traffic when it could have been avoided by following the route the app wanted you to take. In the same thought, distractions and temptations can lead you away from God and His blessings. Let this verse be a guide that urges you to choose wisely how you walk with God so you might experience His blessings.