The following is a part of our weekly devotional series, which is a companion to the 2013 Foursquare Life Journal. This week’s Bible reading comes from Deuteronomy 16-34; Psalms 38, 40; Galatians 2-6; and 1 Corinthians 1-2.
When thinking of what it means to be healthy or to live a healthy life, my mind tends to go in a million different directions, as there are so many important facets of being healthy: nutrition, exercise and plenty of sleep, for example. But it also is important to consider our emotional and spiritual health as well as other areas that tie into living a healthy life. Forgetting these other important facets may be why so many of us struggle in the area of healthy living.
When it comes to true healthy living, consider Deut. 30:19-20 (New Living Translation):
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 can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
In Deuteronomy as a whole, the Lord spoke through Moses regarding many laws the Jews were to follow. They were to live differently from all other nations and, above all else, they were to serve only the one true God and to obey His ways.
When people are given free will to choose life and death, blessings and curses, just as in the above passage, the Lord lets them choose because of His great goodness. It wasn’t enough for the Jews to just state that they chose life. This choice required action—specifically, living for God, in obedience to Him, and recognizing Him as the one and only true God.
Although these scriptures were written more than 2,000 years ago, they are still applicable to us today. When Jesus comes, a choice still must be made between life (the Spirit) or death (sin). We all come to a place where we decide for ourselves whether we want to center our lives on the Lord, His Spirit and His truth, or if we want to live for ourselves and be our own gods, falling prey to our natural sinful desires.
Even after choosing to live for the Lord, we make choices concerning things that bring life and things that can bring death constantly throughout our day. It is amazing to me the difference in my mind, attitude and emotions when I approach each new day open to what I may learn from the Lord and include Him in my decisions for the day.
Through the words we speak, how we spend our time and money, and how we treat others, we may be living life to the fullest the way that God desires and intends for us to live, or we may be separating ourselves from Him, removing ourselves from the fullness of life and the many blessings He wishes to bestow on us.
I don’t mean to diminish or minimize other very practical ways of living a healthy life. However, I think the Lord makes it clear throughout the Bible that truly embracing the fullest, healthiest and most satisfying life possible begins with saying yes to Jesus—not just that one time a while ago, but every day. So, I leave you with this: Today you have the choice of between life and death, between blessings and curses. Which will you choose? Oh, that you would choose life!
By: Kaity Harmon, assisting minister at The Rivers Edge (Etiwanda Foursquare Church) in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Download the yearlong reading plan (PDF, 80 KB), or sign up for the full, online version of the Life Journal. To purchase a Life Journal for your own use, or to place a bulk order for church-wide use, visit FoursquareJournal.com. Learn more about Foursquare’s 2013 Life Journal project.
