I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Deuteronomy 29-31.

    God gave the people of Israel a choice. A choice which He also gives us. It is a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. That choice is not too far away for us to reach, nor does it require us, or anyone else, to go to heroic lengths to obtain it. God has put His message on our lips and in our hearts so that we may obey it, if we so choose. Life and prosperity are not a reward for obeying God and death and disaster are not a punishment for disobeying. Those are just the results of our actions. If we obey God our actions will result in positive things happening for us, including God acting to provide us with all that we need. However, if we disobey God our actions will result in negative things happening to us, and God will not act to deflect the negative consequences of our actions. This is the choice we are faced with today.

    The choice which God has given us involves choosing to enter into a relationship with Him. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, humans have been hiding from God, afraid to approach Him. We have come up with excuses and attempted to put distance between ourselves and Him. Repeatedly throughout the Bible and history God has told us that He is right there by us, waiting for us to turn to Him. We do not need to go to heroic lengths to find God. He is waiting right next to us for us to turn to Him. Let us turn to Him today and make that choice for life and prosperity.

    There is one final point I want to make about this passage. The people of Israel were about to make a change in their lives. They were about to enter a new land to settle there. They were going to face opposition. Through Moses, God told them not to be afraid, not to panic. He promised them that as they entered into this new life, this new place to live, that He would be with them and overcome all of the obstacles they would face. That struck close for me, because I am in the process of finding a new place to live. It is a scary process, but God has promised that He will be by my side as I go through this process. I do not need to fear because He will guide and protect me.