To Live or Not to Live: That is the Question
As I read today’s Bible reading* I saw God giving His covenant people two very clear choices. He describes in-depth all of the blessings if His people will only love and follow Him with all of their hearts.
The blessings Moses describes are incredible. It seems that the people — if they will only stay true to their Lord — will experience only blessings.
However, if they turn away from Him and His covenant, He promises curses in place place of the blessings. The curses are exactly opposite of the blessings. Everywhere God promises blessings if the people will stay true, he promises curses if they turn away.
Moses even goes so far as to say that as bad as he has described the curses, God will heap on even more diseases and plagues than he recorded in the Book. (Deuteronomy 28:61) He won’t relent in pouring out His wrath until He has utterly destroyed the people.
No clearer choice has ever been offered to anyone.
Blessings. Or Curses.
But the real choice isn’t blessings or Curses. The real choice is Life or Death. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Application
Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant and at the Last Supper, He instituted a new covenant in His blood. The penalties have been paid for. God places His Spirit in the hearts of His people and empowers us to obey in the context of His covenant.
No longer do we need to wonder if we will measure up enough to receive God’s blessings, or if we’ll fail to measure up and then reap God’s horrible curses. As Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30)
Indeed!
It. Is. Finished.
* Chapters covered in today’s reading:
Deuteronomy 28
Deuteronomy 29
Deuteronomy 30
This devotional was originally published on March 15, 2021.
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