Choose Life

Our last blog was “A Slow Trains Comin,” we used Bob Dylan’s song as a kick off to explain a death-cycle that we saw happening in America. The cancel culture that shames, blames, retaliates and then eliminates all those that don’t agree with or fit into it’s bias and agenda’s. I explained how our cancel culture destroys everything it touches and leaves a valley of dead dry bones just like Ezekiel 37:1-3 talks about as God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live again?” It’s the same question He is asking us today. God always gives us a choice to stay in a death-cycle of shaming, blaming, retaliating and eliminating or choose a life-cycle where breath can come back into our scattered, empty, dead lives again. Let’s take a closer look at that life-cycle found in Deut. 30:19, “Today, I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”

You might be asking “what would this choice for life look like?” Isa. 30:15 shows us what a life-cycle would look like, if we so choose. It’s only in returning (repentance) and in rest that we shall be saved. God is graciously waiting for us to return to Him (vs. 18). It’s God’s patience, His goodness that leads us to repentance. Once we repent we’re released from God’s judgement and our own hard and impenitent (unrepentant) heart’s (Rom. 2:5). The devil has the legal right to keep you in a death-cycle without a returning, and repentant heart. As we return we enter God’s rest. Genesis 2, gives us the first mention of rest as God finished, completed everything, including man. He then rested on the 7th day and ask’s us to rest on the 7th day based on the completed work He’s done in us. As you enter His sabbath rest you come into agreement with His finished, completed work in you. We see Christ hanging on the cross in John 19:28 knowing that His mission was now finished saying, “It Is Finished and bowing His head released His spirit.” He completed His work and is sitting on the Throne of grace, where we may enter boldly (Heb. 4:16) and find mercy and grace in our time of need. Rest is coming into agreement with God’s completed work in you. It’s in returning and resting that you find your life-cycle of purpose and calling for your life.

The first two life-cycle points are talking about saving you. The last two are talking about strengthening you. The third point of a life-cycle is found in quietness (Isa. 32:17-18), “And the effect of righteousness shall be peace and the result of righteousness is quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” A quiet heart is a peaceful heart that hears God’s voice and knows who God is as it trusts Him in all circumstances. The fourth point of a life-cycle, is a life of trust. Psa. 20:7, tells us some will trust in chariots and some in horses but King David said, I trust in the name of the Lord. David knew what people usually trusted in, self-strength and human wisdom but he says “I’m remembering the Name of the Lord as my strength.” And then in Psa. 9:10 he says, “And those that know your name put their trust in you. O Lord, you have not forsaken those who seek you.” A death-cycle creates lost people but a life-cycle releases a breath of blessing and purpose fulfilling personal callings.

Question: Let me ask you what have you trusted in during this troubled time we’ve been living in?

Key Thought: Both the death-cycle and the life-cycle have 4 characteristics that define their plan and purpose for our lives. The shame, blame, retaliate and eliminate characteristics represent the cancel culture of the death-cycle. A life-cycle with, returning that’s found in repenting, rest that’s found in agreement at the Throne of Grace with God’s completed work in you. Quietness found in peace and the presence of God. And lastly Trust, the knowing of who we base our life on (the Name of Jesus.) The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, My God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold (Psa. 18:2). Now that’s a life-cycle that’s rock solid!!