“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you, life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20
Saturday. Freedom for the weekend. Freedom to choose to do what you want to do. Grandkids have baseball and softball games that I choose to attend. Freedom from what? Freedom to make bad choices, hopefully not too often. I wish I could guarantee that all of us would have complete freedom from sin 365 days a year; but that is not possible on this side of Paradise. But the good news is that we don't have to sin on a constant, day-after-day basis. Grace has freed us to obey Christ. We talked about that a few days ago.
Let’s choose righteousness. By choosing righteousness, we enjoy a lifestyle marked by God's blessings, stability, and strength. Grace frees us to choose. We can decide to walk with God and draw strength from Him to face whatever life throws at us along our journey. Or we can decide to walk away from God and face the many temptations in this fallen world. The next time you are tempted to yield to the old sinful task master, remember this: you are a child of God and Grace invites you to return and find forgiveness, but it doesn't automatically erase the scars that accompany sin; some could stay with you for life. We live in a fallen world and it judges us. Too many in our world don’t acknowledge who is the Real Living Judge. Choose righteousness because of His Grace. You, a child of God are free to do that this weekend and always on this side of Paradise.
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay