Deuteronomy 30:11-20: a reflection

11For this commandment which I command you today is not too hard for you or too distant. 12It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up for us to heaven, bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?” 13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over the sea for us, bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?” 14But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. 15Behold, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and evil. 16For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it. 17But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away and worship other gods, and serve them, 18I declare to you today that you will surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you pass over the Jordan to go in to possess it. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your descendants, 20to love the LORD your God, to obey his voice, and to cling to him; for he is your life, and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Moses sets before the people a clear choice, and assures them that what God asks is not beyond their reach but near, in their mouth and in their heart. I have set before you today life and death, he says; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live. And he insists the commandment is not too hard or far off: it is not in heaven or beyond the sea, but very near you, that you may do it. God does not set an impossible or distant standard and then command us to choose life; his word is near, within reach, and the choice is really before us: to love God, obey his voice, and cling to him, for he is our life. Choose life, Moses urges. God sets life before us and calls us to choose it. The word is near, not out of reach; choose life. God's call to choose life is not beyond us but near. Choose life: love God and cling to him.

Notice the two things Moses says: that the word is near, and that we must choose. First, God's commandment is not out of reach; it is not in heaven or across the sea, requiring someone to fetch it for us, but very near, in our mouths and hearts, so that we can do it. God has not set an impossible standard. And second, a real choice is set before us: life and death, blessing and curse; and Moses urges, choose life. To choose life is to love God, to obey his voice, to cling to him, for he himself is our life. This speaks to us. God does not put his call beyond our reach and then leave us helpless; his word is near, and the choice is genuinely ours to make. And the choice matters: life or death, blessing or curse, turned on whether we choose to love and cling to God or turn away. We are called, today, to choose life, to choose God, who is our life. The choice is near and real; we are urged to choose life. To choose God, to cling to him, is to choose life. God's word is near enough to obey; the choice is ours. Choose life today: love God and hold fast to him.

That is worth taking to heart, for God sets before us a real choice, life or death, and urges us to choose life, and his word is near enough to obey, not beyond our reach. We can imagine that what God asks is too hard or far off, beyond us; but Moses insists the word is very near, in our mouth and heart, and sets before us a genuine choice: choose life, love God, cling to him, for he is our life. The choice is near and real. Do not treat God's call as beyond your reach or the choice as not yours to make; choose life today, choosing to love God and cling to him. Choose life today, loving God and clinging to him, for Moses set before the people life and death, blessing and curse, and urged them to choose life that they and their descendants might live, insisting that the commandment was not too hard or far off, not in heaven or beyond the sea, but very near, in their mouth and in their heart, that they might do it; for God does not set an impossible or distant standard and leave us helpless, but brings his word near, within reach, and sets a genuine choice before us, life or death turning on whether we choose to love and obey and cling to him who is our life, so that we are called, today, not to treat his call as beyond us but to choose life, choosing God who is our life and holding fast to him.

Lord, Moses sets before the people a clear choice, and assures them that what you ask is not beyond their reach but near, in their mouth and in their heart. I have set before you today life and death, he says; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live. And he insists the commandment is not too hard or far off: it is not in heaven or beyond the sea, but very near you, that you may do it. You do not set an impossible or distant standard and then command us to choose life; your word is near, within reach, and the choice is really before us: to love you, obey your voice, and cling to you, for you are our life. Show me the two things Moses says: that the word is near, and that we must choose. First, your commandment is not out of reach; it is very near, in my mouth and heart, so that I can do it. You have not set an impossible standard. And second, a real choice is set before me: life and death, blessing and curse; and Moses urges, choose life. To choose life is to love you, to obey your voice, to cling to you, for you yourself are my life. You do not put your call beyond my reach and then leave me helpless; your word is near, and the choice is genuinely mine to make. And the choice matters: life or death, turned on whether I choose to love and cling to you or turn away. Take that to my heart, for you set before me a real choice and urge me to choose life, and your word is near enough to obey. Keep me from treating your call as beyond my reach or the choice as not mine to make; help me choose life today, Lord, choosing to love you and cling to you who are my life, holding fast to you.