Now you shall say to this people, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. Jeremiah 21:8
Driving down the road there are often times in which one has to make a choice as to which direction to turn. There are two paths to take, one is direct, and the other is more indirect. Sometimes, one of those paths leads to disaster, road construction, washed out road or something in which one is unable to keep going on the path desired.
God tells Jeremiah to tell the people that He has set a way of life and a way of death before them. They are to go into captivity with Babylon for life or stay in Jerusalem for death.
Everyday people have to make many different choices. Often those choices are simple ones, such as what to eat or what to wear, that really don’t have great significance in life. Other times there are choices that can and will impact one’s life, and often the lives of others, for many years, if not a lifetime.
One of the greatest choices that a person must make is whether one will choose to follow and obey God or not. And this is done all throughout the day every day in words, actions and thoughts.
Sometimes following God may appear to be a dead end and leading to death, such as when Israel had to go into captivity to live. Doing what did not make sense and looked like sure death, was the path to life. Being safe, not obeying God, was the path to death.
From the moment a person chooses to believe in Jesus and be saved, one must be willing to obey and follow God on whatever path He leads. Sometimes it will be a tough path to learn something, but it will always lead to life.
Each day you make many choices. God gives you the freedom to choose whether to follow and obey Him or not. Either choice you make will have some consequences. Be willing to choose God and life, not the immediate simple pleasures of this world that will only lead to death in the end. God’s path may be rough and difficult, but it is only to build you up in Jesus Christ and bring you into heaven for eternity with God, life everlasting.
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will choose to walk the path God has set before you leading to life; that you will know the life God has for you; and that God will give you strength to walk away from the path of death the world offers.
Picture by Caleb Jones on Unsplash
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