CHOOSE LIFE

I just read the update on Heather, Pastor Steph’s daughter’s niece whom we are praying for:

 Heather and her kids were gunned down on purpose because her boyfriend that she kicked out this past weekend owed a couple $6,000 for drugs and he was given a week to pay up. The shooter was with her boyfriend a week ago and told him that he had one week to pay cash or he would pay another way! The shooter confronted him and he said that he didn’t have the money because Heather was taking his tax refund for the kids, so he gunned Heather and the kids down!

Heather is still in ICU tonight. She is doing better. Turns out that she had 11 rounds fired into her body, but only one hit a major organ — the liver. They removed part of her liver and said that it would repair itself. Nothing hit her spine. She dropped to the ground, prayed, and rolled according to what she told her mom. She rolled back and forth praying the whole time as fast as she could. She was hit in one hip a couple of times and one knee was shattered. They repaired both of those limbs. The rest of the shots mainly went through fat and muscle tissue. She will be in ICU for a few more days and then hopefully moved into acute care and then to rehab.

The entire staff at the nursing home she works at agreed to volunteer to work her shifts without pay if they would send the checks to heather. They said that they love her there that much!

My friends, this is the perfect illustration of God’s message to us today. In this life, we are faced with a choice between LIFE and DEATH.

LIFE is a life of forgiveness, mercy and grace; living in God’s presence and knowing God’s love personally. DEATH means a life of isolation, loneliness and separation from the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God.

Heather chose LIFE, and what happened to her is a proof of that life. She was hurt but she trusted her God. She suffered damage but nothing fatal. Moreover, the love she showed others are bearing good fruit. Her coworkers will work her schedule so she would get paid. Only a person who has impacted lives positively would get that precious offer. Everything works together for those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28). I know she will come out of this victorious.

My friends, today’s reading is about Moses’ challenge to the Israelites as they were about to enter the Promised Land. Prior to this, he reminded them of all the things the Lord has done for them — how God had provided them manna in the morning and quail at night; that even their clothes did not wear out as they wandered for 40 years in the desert. He was telling them that the miracle would stop so they could choose the way that is best for them – the way of trust and faithful obedience. He was instructing them to choose life. Because the other choice is unbearable.

Dear brothers and sisters, God still offers the same call and promise to us today. He wants to save us all but the choice is not His. He loves us so much that He gave us the freedom to choose. So the choice is ours – LIFE OR DEATH? I urge you all to choose LIFE!

“Almighty Father, I pray that everybody who will see this message would be guided in the most important choice they would make if they have not made that decision yet. Who and where else can we turn to? Only You have the words of everlasting life. Amen.”

Meditation: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Moses said to the people:
“Today I have set before you
life and prosperity, death and doom.
If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God,
which I enjoin on you today,
loving him, and walking in his ways,
and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees,
you will live and grow numerous,
and the LORD, your God,
will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy.
If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen,
but are led astray and adore and serve other gods,
I tell you now that you will certainly perish;
you will not have a long life
on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy.
I call heaven and earth today to witness against you:
I have set before you life and death,
the blessing and the curse.
Choose life, then,
that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God,
heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.
For that will mean life for you,
a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore
he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”