Choices.

by Ben

I read Deuteronomy 25-28.

Wow. These chapters define the Covenant between God and the people of Israel. And some powerful stuff in there!

In Deuteronomy 27:9-10, Moses says, "Quiet. Listen obediently, Israel. This very day you have become the people of God, your God. Listen to the Voice of God, your God. Keep his commandments and regulations that I'm commanding you today."

He goes on to have all of the people of Israel go through a statement of beliefs, with the congregation (all of the people of Israel) answering, "Yes. Absolutely" after each statement.

This section to me reminded me of my own profession of faith at my baptism (i was immersed around age 12). This is also equivalent to the confessions made after graduating a Confirmation class. Basically, "okay, now you are a person of God, make sure you do the stuff we talked about."

Often, however, this is the moment in a person's life where they start to drift away from God. What the church sees as a graduation into their congregation (or beginning), many individuals see as a graduation out of it (or ending). God, through Moses, offers us the positives and negatives of these actions. I.e. God's blessings and God's curses.

Many of us often think that as soon as we accept God into our life, everything gets easier. We'll have more money, our work will be great, our family life won't ever have problems, etc. (There are churches founded upon this idea). The reality is that we still have choices to make. And having God on our side doesn't necessarily make these choices easier (in fact, they could be more difficult). However, with God, we have a path to follow. And through Christ, we have the very direct example. Yes, you will still have problems, but often, they are lighter because you aren't bearing the burden alone. And we can be sure that God's blessings are incredible.