Choosing Life

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Choosing Life
A Devotional by Bess Blanco

Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV

 ^"This day I call heaven and earth 
as witnesses against you 
that I have set before you 
life and death, 
blessings and curses. 
Now choose life, so that you 
and your children may live."

Sometimes life is like the landscape; we face “mountains” of problems and difficulties, or have to “swim an ocean” of issues. For me, this has been no more true than right now, as I walk through a “desert” of my own after a difficult move back to my beloved southwestern desert from the “oasis” I experienced for two years in South Texas. As I have settled back into the desert life, I have found myself looking around at the “death” I see everywhere – dried up trees, shrubs, and even cacti, due to the record-breaking drought in recent years.

So as I was pouting and grumbling to God this morning, on my short drive back home from the store, I heard Him speak. “The choice is before you my child; choose life or death.” Hot tears began to roll down my cheeks as I smiled reluctantly, so touched that God cared enough about me, amongst all His other precious kids, to gently discipline me.

I recalled the Scripture He was speaking about; Deuteronomy 30:19, one of my favorites through the years. I’ve used this Scripture as an encouragement to others many times, and thought I knew it well. But today, as He prodded my heart lovingly, I found a new meaning in those precious words: “I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live…” For me, today, He was saying that choosing life isn’t always a literal thing, but that it is spiritual, mental, emotional. I must choose to not only “speak life” over my circumstances, feelings, and future – as courageously as I speak it over other’s – but also to look for life! It’s always there.

So now as I walk the neighborhoods here in the southwest, and pass the sandy, dry patches of desert earth, I’ll be looking for life. In a small yellow flower, or the jackrabbit bounding away, or the morning dove that wakes me with his call, woo-hoo-hoo. I’ll look for life, and I’ll find it, because I choose life.

Prayer: 
Dear Lord, Help me notice and appreciate the wonder of your creation as I look for life today. Remind me of your love and your kindness today. I choose to speak life over over my circumstances, feelings, and future. I choose life, now help me to look and find it all around me.