5 hours ago
I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live and may love the Lord your God, obey His voice, and cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:19,20
After summarizing the mighty deliverance of the Lord, the recognition of His protection, provision and presence in the wandering years in the desert, the “new” nation, God’s family, has it clearly set before them as they are on the border of entering the land of promise. This is the time to live out their identity and their faith in God’s nature and His promises. And as we read on, there are many accounts of both the successes and failures of their choices. God gives no qualifiers, no contingencies. No places to ask, “But what about…..” No excuses. Life and death, blessings or curses. His loving appeal is to choose life. His warning is against not choosing it. His justice and love are both evident in the choice set before them.
And the same is set before me.
As I enter my “land”, I have the same universal inclinations TOWARD security, comfort, pleasure and AWAY FROM (shall we call it avoidance of?) pain,discomfort, displeasure. Something like dealing with chronic illness doesn’t modify it or qualify anything, but it brings these issues to the front, maybe like dealing with the “heat” of the desert. Always present. Unyielding. There is much I cannot do when I look around me and see so many needs. Needs in Don. Needs in my family, in my life, in my world. Sometimes it can feel stifling.
Yet God’s life-giving words speak so clearly to my heart. Simply put, “Cindy, I don’t call you to fix anything or anyone. You are only called to Love Me. Follow My ways. Cling to Me, for I AM your LIFE and the length of your days….as you do I will take care of the rest. Sometimes through you, sometimes not. Just cling to Me. I AM your Life. Not in part. Not sometimes. But fully… always… constant… and abundant.”
Thank You, Lord, that Your LIFE is ever-present in my life. Your Peace presides over all chaos. You fill my finite being with Your infinite BEING (how can that be?!) and as I love You, Your Love surges forth like a River toward all. As I follow and cling to You, Your Life and blessing follows like a cascading waterfall.Thank You that Your Immensity is not hindered by my small capacity – for You. Are. Life. And the length of my days.