Question: How loose is tight enough?
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants… Deuteronomy 30:19
I taught in elementary and middle schools for over thirty years. And every year—make that almost every day—someone thought they needed to test the boundaries. Maybe she’s moved the line. Maybe she’ll just give in. Maybe she didn’t mean it. They had that urge to test the limits; they were just checking.
Unfortunately, God’s people aren’t much different than a lot of the kids I taught. I’ll bet thoughts like some of the following have crossed your mind at least once since you began your walk with the Lord:
- Just how far can I go until it’s too far?
- Just this once won’t hurt, will it?
- How long can I play with this fire before I get burned?
- How close can I get to the edge before falling off?
- Do I really have to put forth any effort on my end of the deal with God, or can I do whatever I feel like from here on out?
In the Old Testament, the Lord God said through Moses that He had set a choice before His people—life or death; blessing or the curse. The route they took was entirely up to them. The rewards—and consequences—that manifested in their lives would likewise play out according to the decisions they made—life or death; blessing or cursing.
But the Lord didn’t stop there. He told them the proper choice to make at every junction before them—life. Life is always the appropriate choice to make. Life and blessing are always available to every one of us; they are always a decision away—even when the alternatives seem more appealing or less challenging.
Notice what the Lord said through Moses: So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants…
Your decisions are your own. However, those decisions impact everyone else around you, extending for generations. Even as a single woman without children, I am keenly aware that my choices effect far more than myself. My choices and yours—as insignificant as they may seem in the grand scheme of things—carry far more weight on the scales of eternity than we can even imagine.
So how do you choose life? The Lord continued as He spoke through Moses: “…by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:20).
How do you choose life?
- By loving the Lord your God
- By obeying His voice
- By holding fast to Him
The pattern was set from the beginning. The boundaries were drawn. Blessing and life have always been wrapped up in one key pursuit: connection with God.
Connection is established when you love Him. Connection is established when you obey His voice. Connection is established when you hold fast to Him.
So how loose is tight enough? When speaking in reference to the One who died an excruciating death to bridge the gap of separation between you and God, looseness of connection emerges as an impoverished choice—a choice attended by things pertaining to death and the curse.
Connection to the One who loves you is as uncomplicated as loving Him, as straightforward as obeying His voice, and as raw as holding fast to Him. The simplest person on earth can connect with Him to the uttermost; the most learned and astute among us discover that they barely scratch the surface of His limitless love as they draw near to Him in close connection.
Connection to the One who loves you is available to you in full measure. Love Him, obey Him, hold fast to Him. Anything less is depriving yourself of the best Life has to offer.
Dorothy
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6