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Week:07, Season:1,
2014
Posted on Saturday by PCT
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Which Way?
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Scripture：《
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
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30：15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. 17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
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At the beginning everything seemed to be fine until I found I was riding on an unknown path, and started to feel panic. I tried hard to find any road that I might remember while making my notes; I slowed down at each intersection to check the name of the road; should I turn left or right? Should I go straight? Every road and the scene on the road all looked the same in a strange city which made me have no idea where I was. Suddenly, I saw a sign towards my destination. My only choice was to follow it and finally I arrived at my home.
In our lives, we often lose our direction; we stand at the crossroads and look at each path leading towards different destinations. Through the guidance of the road signs and previous experience, eventually we find the right path to our destination. However, it is another story regarding the path of life. Standing at the crossroads of life, should we turn left or right? Or go straight?
The road of life and prosperity, death and destruction
Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and arrived at the crossroads of Canaan and the wilderness. At first they decided to enter Canaan but after the report from the spy they sent, the Israelites lost their faith and even thought of going back to Egypt and slavery. God was rebuked and sent these Israelites to the wilderness for forty years until they all died. Forty years later, a new generation of Israelites arrived at the crossroads of Canaan and the wilderness. All the changes within the past forty years had been observed by Moses. At the crossroads, he spoke to the new generation about God’s promise.
Moses led the new generation of Israelites to review what their ancestors had been through at this crossroads forty years ago. They reviewed the past and looked at the future. The new generation was going to take the road towards Canaan. Moses also knew that even though this new generation chose to enter Canaan, the Promised Land, they would still stand at the crossroads to make decisions about life: to choose God or other foreign gods in Canaan? Which road would they take? Which direction they would take?
Therefore Moses said to them, “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.” The road of believing in God will lead you towards life, prosperity and His everlasting presence; the road of believing in foreign gods will lead you to death and destruction; a temporary journey. Moses indicated these two roads of belief to the Israelites; one towards life and another towards death, falling from the edge of the cliff. Moses was emotional as he had seen and witnessed the consequence of disobeying the Lord. He testified in front of all people and explained the consequences of choosing these two different paths to the Israelites. Moses explained the choices about “life and prosperity, death and destruction” and asked people to make the wise decision at the crossroads: life or death? Which one will you choose?
Choose “life”!
Moses spent almost all his energy in urging the Israelites and he hoped, if he might, that he could make choices for the people he loved. Moses shouted, “Choose life! Love your Lord! Follow him and be loyal to him! That is the way to live! Do not choose death but life!” At the crossroads of life and death, Moses is like a sign to show people and like an experienced bus driver to direct you the right way.
Huang Siang, one of the first generation of Christians at Taiwan Presbyterian KuSian Church spent his whole life going to church every Sunday morning and fasting and praying for his family to be saved by God. Mr Huang prayed for his family every day with tears in his eyes until he died. At the crossroads before his own life and death, his family still did not believe in God. Mr Huang looked at his offspring standing at the crossroads of life and prosperity, death and destruction and could not stop his tears. He said to his all children and grandchildren, “whoever follows my path to trust in God, he and his children will live like lush bamboo leaves; instead, those who do not follow my Christian belief, will be like the withered bamboo head.”
Which way would you choose?
Time flies, the Christian faith has been established from the first generations of Christian at KuSian Church, Huang Siang, to me, the seventh generation. Every year at the Qingming Festival (The Tomb Sweeping Day), when I come to the tomb of my ancestor, Huang Siang the elders of my family remind us again of Huang Siang’s tears and his final words to us his offspring which have come true! His spirit reminds those living of the crossroads of life and prosperity, death and destruction. Which way should we choose? When I was standing at the crossroads of my own life, the statement of Moses, the tragic history of the Israelites who disobeyed the Lord and my family history all spoke to me, “choose life!”
The truth has been told but the decisions are held in our hands. Moses cannot make choices for us nor our ancestors, parents or priests. The choices are all in our own hands. Standing at the crossroads of life and prosperity, death and destruction, the words of Moses, our parents, friends and church ministers and the values of this world are all speaking to us. The countless road signs have made our eyes blurred. The road of life or the road of death, which way will you choose?
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For discussion：
1.What did the Israelis choose after they heard Moses’ statement? What consequences did they face?
2.At the crossroads of life and prosperity, death and destruction, what is your choice?
Please pray for：
1.For all Christians to make up their minds again to follow the road of Christ.
2.For all churches to become places which remind people to think about the meaning of life and prosperity, death and destruction.
Prayer：
Loving Abba Father, our lives are in your hands. You reveal the truth of life and prosperity, death and destruction to us. May you help us to listen to the words about life; may you clean our heart and remove all of the voices which may draw us away from your way of life. May the light of the Spirit shine upon us and help us to have wisdom when making decisions. Help us to walk on the road you have prepared for your people. In the name of Christ, Amen.
Something you can do：
1.Try to pause to seek the guidance of the Lord in prayers when you need to make choices in life.
2.Review the faith footprint of your ancestors and your life stories and explore the guidance from God. Write down your life stories of faith and pass along to your families.
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