Life or death, blessings or curses

Wow!  How hard a choice can that be?  Of course we would choose life and blessings rather than death and curses.  You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

So, if it was so easy, obvious, straightforward.....how come lots of folk often seem to be on the wrong side of that equation?  How come we think we are choosing 'life' and end up with 'death' instead?  It could have something to do with our short term thinking and definitions of life.

We are a people of the cross, and any reasonable person would look on a cross of crucifixion and tell you that death was staring you right back in the face.  Except they would be wrong.  The cross of Jesus Christ turned this world upside down and inside out, and the cross became God's instrument for revealing God's power and intent for creation: life after life, life upon life.  Death was defeated (not eliminated, defeated).  Ultimate power goes not to the executioner but to the God of all creation. Point, set, match.

Well, with that kind of turnaround, it is easy to understand how we could look at a high paying job with lots of perks as life but discover that the unquestioning loyalty it demands, along with long hours, middle of the night phone calls and no time for family sure feels like death each Monday morning.  A new industry in town providing hundreds of jobs and sparking the economy looks like a blessing until we realize that we have permanently poisoned the local lake.  We have such a small view of life (not our fault by any means) that we are often fooled into thinking that bad is good and horrible is better still.  We'll chase anything that is shiny and bright.

The writer of Deuteronomy, speaking as Moses, calls to the people of Israel to choose life.  Choose God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who brought you out of slavery, the God who will lead you to a land of fertility and plenty.  Choose God - for in the end, no matter how good or bad today might look, God is in it for the long term.  Choose God and you will have chosen life.  Deu 30.15-20

God loves you and will lead you home.  Choose that which is eternal.  God has already chosen you.