SAINT POLYCARP, BISHOP AND MARTYR (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

I have set before you life and death.

What do you think the main road in your town would look like if no one obeyed the traffic laws? Some cars might get through town unscathed, but many others would not—and neither would the people in those cars! It’s vital that we all know and follow the rules of the road because few drivers can survive by ignoring them.

The same goes for our relationship with God. Speaking through Moses, the Lord gave the Israelites the “rules of the road” that they needed to follow if they wanted to thrive in the Promised Land. He didn’t guarantee that they would be free from all troubles if they followed the demands of the covenant. But he did promise that they would avoid a lot of unnecessary suffering.

Think about the traffic rules you have to follow every time you drive. Some of them probably rub you the wrong way, but you know they’re there to protect you and everyone else. Some of God’s rules might have felt that way to the Israelites, too. But if they could hold fast to the commands to love the Lord and love one another, they would experience the “life” that Moses promised and would grow and flourish. Their obedience would help them preserve the unity and blessings they were beginning to enjoy as God’s chosen people.

So the next time one of God’s commands seems to be standing in the way of your happiness, ask yourself, “How does this command—as challenging as it may be—truly bring about the ‘life’ that God has promised me?” You can also ask, “What kind of ‘death’ will I experience as a result of this sin?” Think about not just the short-term but also the long-term consequences of each action. The more you evaluate your options this way, the more clearly you’ll see that it is sin, not God’s rules, that imprisons us. The more you’ll see that following the Lord is the best way to live in peace and enjoy the salvation that Jesus has won for you.

Every day we have countless opportunities to choose life or to choose death. Let’s choose life!

“Father, thank you for offering me the opportunity to taste your life more deeply with each choice I make.”

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 1:1-4, 6
Luke 9:22-25