Deuteronomy 11:26

Moses declared, “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse!”

The book of Deuteronomy gives us the sermon that Moses preached as the people gazed at the promised land. God had told Moses that he would not enter into Canaan and, so, he stood on Mount Nebo looking at the land which God had promised to give to his people. He knew God well enough to know he longed to bless them. He wanted this new chapter in the life of the people of Israel to be full of blessing and happiness, but he also knew it was down to the choices they would make. They had the power to choose a blessing or a curse.

This is a stark message, and it is precisely the one that we face today. We can choose God’s blessing, but we are not forced to. We have free will. If we choose to go our own way, that’s up to us.

It might seem as if we are not making any particular decisions sometimes. However, stand back from your life for a moment. Everything you do, from the moment you wake up, is guided by your own personal decision. It could all be very different. From time to time, it’s good to take a fresh look at our activities and relationships to ensure we are making the best use of our time and deliberately avoiding the pitfalls.

Moses’ greatest concern was that the people would forget about God. They might even try out some of the other gods worshipped by people in the promised land. Their decisions would have consequences. If they made bad decisions, they would be cursed. As much as God longed to bless them, he wouldn’t be able to do so if they disobeyed his commands.

We live in a society in which there are many false gods and alluring distractions. We need to be as clear as Moses: ultimately, the choices we make can lead to blessing or curses.

Question - What are you going to do today to ensure that you make the right decisions?

Prayer - Lord God, thank you that you are constantly with me as I live today. Help me to make good decisions, that will honour you and build your kingdom. Amen