by Emmett Smith

As Moses prepared himself and the children of Israel for Joshua's succession and their entry into the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 32:46,47), he issued a solemn warning. His exhortation to the people was that that they would take all his warnings to heart, that they would command them to their children, and that they should "be careful to do all the words of this law". In emphasizing the importance of keeping the law he said, "For it is no empty word for you, but your very life". God's word is not empty, but full of life for those who heed it.

I'm sure most of us have heard or perhaps said of someone that he or she should "get a life". The implication is that some lifestyles are better than others. When Jesus said, " I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10), wasn't that His point? His mission was to make the abundant life available to all who would accept it, life so abundant that it transcends death itself! In his description of Jesus as the divine Word, John told us that, "In him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).

Choose Christ. Choose life.

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator" (Colossians 3:2-10).