“See I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse.“ You present me with two choices. Who in their right mind would choose to be cursed instead of being blessed??
Yet although You spell out very clearly the requirements for each; time and time again people chose to disobey, bringing curses into their lives.
You did not hide who You are or how to please You from these people. You plainly spoke to them through Moses. As Your Word says, You did not place this knowledge beyond their reach. They did not have to mystically ascend to the heavens or even cross a sea to find it.
Neither do I. You proclaimed it before them in words they understood. And You share it with me, in many translations and versions of the Bible so I can know one from the other.
I choose blessing.
Centuries later when You ate with a Pharisee, and the other Pharisees questioned, You spoke plainly to them about the hypocrisy of their lives. You told them it was more important to live a pure life in terms of character and attitude rather than just “look good” from the outside. They were to give to the poor, not neglect justice, and be instruments of Your love.
You challenged them to put down pride and be humble before the people they were supposed to be teaching. You warned them that they were hindering the people in their understanding of scripture by loading them down with superfluous requirements they themselves didn’t even do.
You explained how they hid the key to knowledge so no one could enter in the door the key would have unlocked. You accused them of revering the prophets You had sent, only after they had killed them.
As You spoke to them, they could have responded to all this teaching and rebuking with humility and obedience. But they did not. You speak to hypocrisy in my life too. Father, let me respond with humility and obedience.
Again, I choose the blessing.
Psalm 78 says “O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things, things from old … We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation of the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders He has done…Then they will put their trust in God, not forget His deeds, and keep His commands.”
It goes on to tell how a stubborn and rebellious generation perished in disobedience.
Your Word, O Lord, is freely available to me. Your Word teaches me how to live in a way to receive Your blessing. Not only that, but Jesus, You came to show me and teach me by example.
One way is life, all others are death. I choose life. Thank You for showing me the way. Amen
Deuteronomy 30:1-20; Luke 11:37-54; Psalm 78:1-31
Daily Bible Prayer 