Deuteronomy 30:19 says, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."

We know that God is speaking to His people in this verse because He says, "I have set before you life and death…."  What an awesome thing to serve a God who lets us choose which way we will go in life. Even when we surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, we are still faced with the daily choice of allowing Him to remain the Lord of our lives.

God says, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;" and He even gives us a hint about which to choose… He says, "choose life…"  Then God tells us why. He says, "choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." 

Are you a person who chose to "live it up" when you were in the world?  Did you know that you can choose to "live it up" as a Christian?  In this verse the word "live" in the Hebrew has a primitive root meaning, which is to declare or to show. The way you declare or show is by the choices you make.

This devotion is not to present condemnation, but for you to consider its message. There are consequences attached to every decision we make in life. The kind of car you buy, along with the price of gasoline per gallon will determine your gas mileage and ultimately, what it will cost you to drive that particular vehicle.

Likewise, there are benefits attached to life and blessing when we choose life. In this verse, the word ‘life’ means to grow, flourish, be strong and includes all of things that cause life to be meaningful and full. The word death means destruction and ruin. The word blessing means prosperity. The word cursing refers to the consequences, which were brought upon mankind through the original act of sin.

Just as there are benefits attached to life and blessing, there are consequences that come with choosing death and cursing. Things happen because of the choices we make in life.

God, in His infinite wisdom, decided to make life easy for us by encouraging us to "choose life."  Our Loving Heavenly Father knows the difference between ‘benefits’ and ‘consequences.’  He does not encourage us to choose death and cursing—because they carry consequences that are undesirable to us. If it were not for the enemy blinding the minds of many, NO ONE would choose "death and cursing."

But again, let’s examine why God said to "choose life."  He said, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."  God knows that when we "choose life and blessing", we are choosing everything needed to live a blessed and prosperous life in Jesus.

And God says, "choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." God wants you to live a blessed, full and flourishing, prosperous life and He know that the only way for that to happen is to make the right choices. And in this case, that choice is life. When you choose life you and your descendants declare and show that you serve the living God who definitely wants only good for you and not evil. You declare and show that God is your God, by the choices you make.

When we make wrong choices through this freedom we have, we can bring the consequences of ‘destruction and ruin,’ and in essence, ‘the curse’ on us because of those decisions. Therefore, choose life and live! Demonstrate your love for God as you choose life. God says, "choose life" and speak (declare) life; and watch me show off. Which will you choose?  …Think about it!