Choose Life
Choose life
By Evangeline Unity Esaaba Folson
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before your life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may be live. That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy Life, and the length of thy days_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Another translation says:
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessing and curse. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice yo make. Oh, that you and your descendants might live!
You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give you_ __ _ _ _ _ _
This translation makes the passage easy to understand and analyze. Verse 20 says the key to your life, or what to do to be able to choose life is to:
Love and obey the Lord
1 John 5:3
John 15:7
Commit yourself firmly to Him
Proverbs 3:5-6
Romans 10:9-10
Then you will live long
Psalm 91:14-116
Revelations 2:10
Love and obey the Lord
1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.
Even as humans, we show our love for one another by doing things that our spouse, children, relatives and friends love. We take time to find out what our loved ones like or love and find ways of providing them or meeting their desires.
In the same way, to show our love to God, we have to first study the bible to know His commandments and obey them. We also have to find out all the conditions and requirements we have to meet and fulfill them.
John 15:7
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.
Abide in me, is another way of saying obey my commandments or let my words dwell in you. It is important to God that we obey His commandments because that is the only way we can show and confirm our love for Him.
Commit yourself firmly to Him
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy path.
If God cannot call you His own like Isaiah 43:1 says
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, Jacob and He that formed thee, O Israel, fear not for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. Then you cannot choose life.
God has already made provisions for the redemption of all mankind through the death and resurrection of His son Jesus. However, it is important to accept the gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is also emphasized in John 3:16.
For God so love the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
After you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your savior by going through the processes described in romans 10: 9-10,
You must also put all your trust in the Lord as proverbs 3:5-6 says.
Never depend only on your own abilities and intelligence, commit everything you do to the Lord and trust Him to guide and direct you in all you do.
Then you will live long
Psalm 91:14-16
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver Him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name he shall call upon me, and I will answer him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him with long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
The Lord says, he will satisfy those who love him with long life. This implies that choosing to love and obey the law is equivalent to choosing life.
Revelations 2:10
Fear non of those things which thou shall suffer, behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulations ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
In addition to loving and obeying the Lord, we are also required to be faithful to the end and we will receive the crown of life or internal life.
You can choose life by
Accepting the gift of salvation
Loving and obeying the Lord
Being faithful to the end
References
2. Oxford English Minidictionary
3. Google.com
