TOPIC: LIFE IS A CHOICE
Bible Reading: Numbers 14-15; Mark 6:1-32
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” – Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV)
Life is a choice, and our choices are determined by our values and our faith. The Psalmist, based on His confidence in God’s saving power despite the threats of death chose life and boldly declared in Psalms 118:17 (KJV), “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.” He didn’t leave anything to chance by saying, “ If it be the will of God, then He will allow me to live.” In the matters of life and death, he knew he had a choice, and he chose life.
Our text says that God placed two sets of four items i.e. life and death, blessing and cursing before the nation of Israel and encouraged them to choose life. To choose life is to choose the blessing and to choose death is to choose the curse. There is no death in the blessing. With the blessing comes multiplication and fruitfulness which are all products of life including long life. There is no single verse of scripture that associates a short life with the blessing. There’s no scripture that says, “Because I have loved you, I will cut short your life,” rather God says in Psalms 91:15-16 (KJV), “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.” Long life is a blessing you must choose as a child of God.
It is God’s responsibility to give life, but it is your responsibility as a believer by faith to choose when you are satisfied because you are the recipient. The Psalmist understood this truth and despite the fact that death was constantly lurking around him, he refused death but rather chose life. The way we choose life isn’t by our diets but by our words. The bible says in Psalms 34:12-13 (KJV), “What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.” Your choice of life or death is determined by your words. To speak evil is to speak contrary to God’s Word. Stop using death to express yourself. If you want to live long then stop saying negative words.
To speak contrary to life is to choose death and it doesn’t matter if you were joking or not. Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) says, “THE TONGUE HAS THE POWER of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” The power is not with death or life, the power lies in your tongue! It is your tongue that either empowers life or death.
Regardless of the symptoms or diagnoses you have received, you have a choice and like the Psalmist you can also boldly declare, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD in Jesus name.”
Prayer: Thank You Father for the gift of life in Christ Jesus and to know that in Him I am blessed! I boldly declare today that I choose life in Jesus name.
Pastor Alfred Samuel