I’ve made many plenty of bad decisions in life, but also many good ones. The decisions we make either bring ‘blessings or curses,’ so we would be prudent to choose wisely. Deuteronomy 30:19 – “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live”. If we choose life, then we should naturally choose blessings over curses too. Moses wrote those words thousands of years ago, but they are just as relevant today as they were the day they were originally written.
The bottom line is we are to worship God and only God, keep his commandments and tell “a lost world of the goodness of God”. God led the Jewish nation out of slavery in Egypt and yet within a very short space of time, the special covenant God made with his chosen people was broken by them, and for 40 years they wandered aimlessly in the wilderness.
Yesterday I spoke of time speeding by at warp speed, especially when we get older. I don’t imagine that was the case with those who wandered in the desert for forty years. I imagine it to be a dreary existence and it gave them plenty of time to think about their bad decision.
Don’t get caught up in this world through bad decisions. Yesterday I was studying Ephesians. The Apostle Paul was writing from prison and warning the church about the dark forces in this world that surround us and how to protect ourselves. It is fascinating for Paul to describe whom we battle against. He says we don’t battle flesh and blood but principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. It sounds highly organized and dangerous to me. He tells us to put on the full armor of God: Righteousness, Gospel of peace, Faith, Salvation, sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, Praying always . . . Paul made it clear that we fight a mighty foe, but we have the tools to win through Jesus Christ.
The Jewish folks in Moses’ times had God Himself guiding them day and night and still, they could not resist the temptations set forth by all the powers previously mentioned. We too cannot expect to make it alone in this world by deciding to bypass the Lord. Use the tools God has given us and equip yourselves with the full armor of God. Think before making bad decisions.
I used to have a little sign on my phone at work emblazoned in bright red big bold letters. It read: THINK! Whenever I heeded it, I was far better off than making rash decisions to say or do something stupid and end up regretting it.
Eph. 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes . . .