Choose Life

“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity” (Deut. 30:15)
 
Jehovah sets before us life and death – He sets it in front of us, but He never forces it upon us. Is there any doubt which He would choose for us?! The God who made us in His image (Gen 1:26), calls us His children (1 Jn 3:1), sent His Son for our transgressions (Jhn 3:16), and prepared heavenly mansions for us (Jhn 14:2) certainly wants life and prosperity for us.
 
But He will only set it before us because you are made to choose. The glorious power of freewill is so sacred that even God Himself will not remove it. Every day people choose. We choose to seek wisdom like the Queen of Sheba or we choose to suppress truth. We choose to glory in tribulations or we allow our suffering to embitter us. We choose to recreate the failings of those who have gone before us or we choose to change our family tree.
 
Our choices define us – even if those choices are to do nothing. Nothing is a choice, too (Jas 4:17). You cannot control your circumstances, but you can control your own spirit.
 
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4

Ahead of its Time

“And of the blood of grapes you drank wine.” (Deut. 32:14)
 
Deuteronomy 32 contains the Song of Moses – a psalm Moses gave to the Israelites just before his death. Written 1,400 years before Jesus walked this earth it refers to the ‘blood of grapes’ that God would give His people in the Promised Land. This is the first-time grape juice is referred to in this way.
 
1,400 years – that is almost 6 times longer than America has existed. The city of Thebes was the largest city in the world, the big news was that the Palace of Minos had been destroyed by fire, and the culture of the Tumulus was all the rage… in other words, a really, REALLY, R-E-A-L-L-Y long time ago.
 
And yet, God was already preparing the Jews for the day when the ‘blood of the grapes’ would call to mind the blood of the Savior leading us into His Promised Land.
 
“In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’”
(1 Cor 11:25)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4

Unanswerable Questions

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” (Deut. 29:29)
 
The LORD doesn’t tell us everything. There are mysteries of this universe and the vast galaxies that only He can fathom. There are fish in the ocean that only He sees and wonders in the heavens that only He observes. The divine wisdom of God understands and observes every hair on my head, but I only know the number is diminishing.
 
We also don’t know why everything happens. Why do God’s people suffer? Why does one person enjoy blessings while another must grieve like Job did? These unanswerable questions caused David to question his life and his faith – when David contemplated the success of the wicked and the struggles of the righteous he said, “my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped, for I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Ps 73:2-3). In the dark and hollow days of sorrow, it is natural to ask, “Why?”
 
The answer to personal suffering is – I don’t know. None of us does. We don’t get to know everything – we just get to know Him who does.
 
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor 1:3-4)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4

Appropriate Expectations

“For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.” (Deut. 30:11)
 
If God expects something of you, He will provide the strength to do it. Excuses are lists of what is preventing us from doing something, but God has removed all things that would prevent us from successfully serving Him.
 
You are smart enough, strong enough, rich enough, and talented enough to do what God has commanded – you may just not be brave enough or faithful enough. That is the blunt truth of God’s Word. It isn’t that the command is too hard, it is often that we are too soft. Excuses are our way of avoiding the hard truth that our shortcomings are personal and not circumstantial.
 
When it comes to following the Bible, it is never ‘I can’t’, it is only ‘I won’t’.
 
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4

The Storehouses of God

“The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand” (Deut. 28:12)
 
After the farmer has plowed the field, planted the seeds, weeded, and fertilized; he is left to watch the clouds – helpless to control the rains. The heavens are God’s storehouse of blessings and completely out of our control.
 
After all your hard work, all your toil, sweat, and tender care, the increase still belongs to God. Every day people strive for success without achieving it. Turns out that the intangible things, the things often attributed to luck, happenstance, or serendipity have more control over your life than you do. You have no say in what the weather will be, when and where you are born, the mood of your boss, or the traffic along your commute. The uncountable and unquantifiable belongs to God.
 
So accept vulnerability and weakness. Accept your limitations and inabilities. When we do that, we are prepared to lean upon the God of all understanding. The omnipotent I AM becomes our guardian and guide, and after we have plowed and planted, we farmers can simply sleep peacefully as we await His rains in their season.
 
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.” (Jas. 1:17)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4

Seeking Confirmation

“Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.” (Deut. 27:26)
 
Confirmation is the act of reinforcing something. Someone says that North Korea has nuclear arms… best to confirm that before launching a full strike. If the doctor says you have cancer, might be a good idea to get confirmation with a second opinion.
 
God’s word is a beautiful thing, read by billions of people over the centuries, but when Christians confirm that Word through our actions we are blessed and those around us are too. When we read the laws of God and then live them it reinforces their value as we see them in action. The doing confirms and establishes how correct God was all along.
 
This is what Paul meant when he said that in the gospel the “righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith”. The book of faith is meant to lead us to live a life of faith. Reading the faith should lead to practicing the faith which leads to becoming people of faith.
 
Paul also directly quotes Deut. 27:26 in Gal 3:10 to point out that another side effect of confirming God’s laws by doing them is the realization that you don’t practice them perfectly. The word also confirms our sinfulness – and that is important too, because Christ came to save sinners. You have to realize the need to appreciate the gift.
 
“Practice these things, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.”
(I Timothy 4:15)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4

The Solitary Road

“Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deut. 24:16)
 
We’ve all been affected by the consequences of other people’s sins, but nobody should bear the guilt for other people’s sins. In a drunk-driving accident, there may be many people harmed by the sin of drunkenness, but there is only one sinner – the person behind the wheel.
 
Your sins are your own and you have to face them yourself. We are each behind the wheel of our own life and that means there is no such thing as blaming someone else for your choices. Acknowledging our own faults and recognizing our own sins is just as important as realizing that other people’s sins aren’t your fault.
 
When you stand before God, it will be your life that you give account for and it won’t matter what bad (or good) those around you have done – there is no such thing as guilt or innocence by association on the Judgment Day. Take charge of you. There is only one person you can control.
 
“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Rom 14:12)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it.” (Deut. 22:8)
 
Cain asked the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” – apparently, if it’s your house you are! The typical architecture found in Israel was a flat roof that doubled as an outer patio/balcony. If you were going to have people go up on your roof, you better build a parapet (i.e. a low wall or railing) so they didn’t fall. In other words, every Jew was responsible for thinking about the safety and well-being of others. It was the Jewish equivalent of building codes.
 
If through neglect in our own craftsmanship and service we fail to consider the health and safety of our fellow man, we are wrong. “Whatever our hand finds to do we should do with all our might” (Eccl 9:10). A Christian should not cut corners in whatever service he is active in… especially when that service impacts others, and it almost always does.
 
Neglect and apathy are not found in the fruits of the spirit, but self-control and faithfulness are.
 
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Col. 3:17)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4

Be Kind

“Cursed is he who misleads a blind person on the road.” And all the people shall say, “Amen” (Deut. 27:18)
 
Weak people mock other people’s struggles. Read the news and you will find it full of stories of people taking advantage of others because they can. Making fun of people’s struggles is taught early and often in every schoolyard across the country. Kids quickly learn that wearing glasses, awkwardness, being overweight, etc. leads to mocking almost immediately. Bullies abound.
 
People are people. Souls are souls. Be better than the culture.
 
“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom 12:21)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4

Happy Wife, Happy Life

“When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall give happiness to his wife whom he has taken.” (Deut. 24:5)
 
Why was this command to men? Probably because we are the first to forget it… off with our band of brothers, men are prone to forget their wives and the care of marriages. Men – marriage is about responsibility of service. It is about what you put into it, not what you get out of it. The marriage vows are a commitment to make your wife happy and to bring her happiness.
 
What if every husband in America spent the next week bringing joy to their wives? What if we thought of that as our conquest and mission instead of the earthly pursuits that often fill our days? What would happen if our goals became to create godly marriages and godly families?
 
“In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church because we are members of his body.” (Eph 5:28-30)
 
#Biblebites Matt. 4:4