"Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.
"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life."
-- excerpts, Deuteronomy 30.
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The word "choose" in the above passage is "Bahar," and is defined in my Hebrew Study Bible as this:
Bahar: to prove, try, choose, select, distinguish, to love, like, be pleasing, be especially chosen. The term denotes taking a keen look. Something is deemed acceptable or judged to be excellent after it has been tested. Also signifies a careful, well thought out choice.
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God has gifted us and graced us with His blessed Word, and He tells us that it is always near.
God also tells us in Deuteronomy that His Word is not too difficult for us or beyond our reach.
But, in order for that to be true, we must choose it
We must take His Word that is near, and look keenly at it. We must carefully read through it and think on it, testing it against our hearts and struggling with it, putting forth the effort to know and understand it, so that it can be placed in our hearts and in our mouths like God promises it will.
The Word does not return void.
And if we will only choose to look at it, wrestle with it, ask it questions, carefully pay it attention, and test its truth in our lives - then we begin to see for ourselves the truth that this Word is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword.
We begin to see and experience - to SHEMA - that the Word of God really does bring life, joy, peace, and truth.
But in order to see it, we must choose it.
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The WORD speaks.
It really does.
But we have to let it.
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Psalm 119. Deuteronomy 30. Hebrews 4.
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