Langata Rd, Opposite Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it
We have here not only Joshua’s testimony, but a soul-stirring appeal to the nation. “CHOOSE YE THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE.” He knew better than anyone else that all the victories of the past had come to that nation because God was with them, and everything in the future would depend upon the attitude that the nation took towards Jehovah.
I want to point out what this choice would mean to you or to me.
Spiritually attentive people acknowledge that we have all served different gods, at some point or another. We have served the various gods of our fathers and mothers, just as the followers of Joshua had!
In Kenya we have served the various gods of our families and tribes. Another word for “tribes” might be all the labels that keep getting tossed and thrown around the political landscape these days!
But Joshua says, “Put them away.” Put away the gods of your ancestors. Let them go.
It is time to enter a new land, just as the followers of Joshua would. At one time, the tribes of Israel all had different gods, too! But Joshua says he will follow Yahweh.
Joshua says, Joshua 24:15, “choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”
James 1:8
“he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
A double-minded man is a person who is inconsistent and unstable in his ways, and who struggles to be present and loyal
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
You are not able to serve God and mammon.” “Mammon” refers to one's possessions, like money, wealth, or property. In the New Testament, only Jesus uses the word “mammon.” He describes mammon as a burdensome ruler, seeking to lure humans into its own control
A master is anything that enslaves us (Romans 6:16). Alcohol, lust, and money are all masters of some people. In Jesus’ warning that we cannot serve two masters, He specifies money (or “mammon” or “wealth” in other translations) as a master in opposition to God.
That is what we choose today. That is what we vote for.
We are Christian. No particular political party completely defines us! Not even the ones we give our hearts and money to! Giving our hearts and money is okay, for a time and for a season and for the common good.
But our deeper identity is something else. Our deeper allegiance, over and over again, is Jesus Christ.
We choose this day, to follow the one, holy, and infinite God, the one above all other gods, and above each of us. That God is Yahweh, the God whose name cannot be defined, but who represents justice and peace, mercy and love, in every generation. That God becomes flesh in Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is a choice of one of TWO LEADERS. There are two great leaders and they stand before every young life, and they both bid for the loyalty and obedience of that life.
a) The ruler of the darkness of this world - the prince of the power of the air, the great deceiver.
When Jesus began His ministry, this leader actually met Him, and he said to Jesus: “If you will bow down to me I will give you all the kingdoms of this world.” That deceiver bids for your loyalty. That deceiver bids for your life, and unfortunately, he gets too many.
b) Jesus is “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”
“I am the Way; I am the Truth; I am the Life.” “Follow Me and ye shall have treasure in Heaven.” Do you see the force of it?
Choose ye whom you will serve,” you must make your choice.
There is no neutral ground. I am either following Jesus, or I am following the prince of the power of the air, the ruler of this world’s darkness.
People may resent that, but it is the teaching of the Bible. What did Jesus say? “He that is not with me is against me.” Matthew 12:30, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
Deuteronomy 30:19 (AMPC)
God says, …I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.
Every choice is a seed you sow, and those seeds produce fruit in your life – either for life or for death. And if we want to have the life Jesus died to give us – an abundant life full of real peace and joy – we need to make wise choices.
The Choice Is Yours
When God tells us in Deuteronomy 30:19 to “choose life,” He’s actually showing us what wisdom looks like – it’s life-giving. And when we follow wisdom, we live deeper than “I want, I think, I feel…I want, I think, I feel…” Because wisdom always chooses to do now what will bring satisfaction later on, while foolishness means “without common sense.”
Now here’s some great news: If you have made foolish choices (and we’ve all done it at times in our lives) and you’re not happy with the way I things are, you can change. But you have to be willing to take responsibility for your wrong choices and make a determined decision to change the way you behave. When you do, you’ll find that every right choice you make helps reverse the wrong decisions you’ve made in the past.
To begin this journey in Christ, we have to understand that nobody can change themselves. I know this because when I desperately wanted to change and be a better person who made right decisions, it was clear that I couldn’t do it on my own. I needed God to heal me of hurts from past abuse and make me secure and whole in Christ. Then I was able to choose life and live the way God wants me to live.
Whatever change you need to make, simply pray and ask God to change you and help you. Study the Bible in the areas where you are struggling, like anger, selfishness or unforgiveness. And be serious about it – you have to really study the Word to get what you need from God and be changed.
It’s so good to know we can do something to choose life, not just have an existence full of misery and death. We can seek wisdom, pray every day and renew our commitment to do what He wants us to do. We can live with integrity and do what’s right – even when no one is watching us but God. That’s when we know we’re really living for Him and not for ourselves or to please other people.
How can you change and what could your life be like if you made better choices right now? Don’t put it off any longer. There won’t be a more convenient time, and you don’t have to waste another day missing out on the good life God has for you.