[Steve Myers] There's a special word that appears throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, the word is spelled bahar and it means to choose. Think about that for a moment. Many times throughout the Bible it focuses on choosing. Right at the very beginning, Adam chose wrong and ate the fruit. God chose Abraham. God chose Moses. Moses chose to leave Egypt. And this concept of choosing comes up over, and over, and over again, not just Old Testament, but throughout the New Testament as well. In fact, didn't God choose Israel as His very own people? No doubt He did.

And it's at that time when God is giving instructions to Israel, as they're going to go into the Promised Land, He focuses on this concept of choosing. And notice what He says. We'll take a look at Deuteronomy. 

Look at Deuteronomy 30, and we're gonna start in verse 19. And here's what God says through Moses. He says, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19)

And so you see, God has put the opportunity for every one of us to choose. And the interesting part about this is not just the fact of okay, I've got to make a decision, but it's more than just choosing life in the sense of okay, I'm not going to choose death and so I'll choose life.

There's more to what God is talking about here. Making a choice in this sense is not just opposing death, but He says make it a meaningful life. Choose life.

And so Godly choices bring meaning into our life. And that theme runs throughout the Bible. So yes, we avoid evil, but we also then have to do good. And when you read through the Bible over, and over, and over again that theme comes forth. 

Israel throughout their existence was not just to avoid evil, but they were to choose good. In fact, there's a wonderful passage that's found in Proverbs 3. Let's take a look at this for just a moment. In Proverbs 3, let's take a look at verse 5. It exemplifies this point of choosing life. Not just avoiding death, but choosing what's good. Notice what Proverbs 3:5 says. It says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding." Okay, so that implies this choosing life aspect. But then it goes on and it says, "In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

And so now, we have the other side of the coin, not just avoiding evil, but choosing what's good. And so when we make that choice, then God's going to bless it. And He will work with us, and in us, and through our lives, so that His will can be accomplished.

So when you're faced with a choice, perhaps keep these passages in mind that we not just avoid evil, not just avoid death, but that we make that conscious effort to choose life, we choose to do what's good. And by doing that, we're beginning to fulfill God's will in our life.

That's BT Daily. We'll see you next time.