Author Archives: aheartafterhim

THE NAMES OF GOD: ELOHIM

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First of all, I would like to get my qualifications for doing this study out in the open……..I don’t have any! This study is from a heart running after, towards and  eagerly seeking God’s heart; a heart after Him. What follows is what t I learn through my research and my hunger to know God intimately. I am simply sharing what I discover.

To begin our study on the Names of God, we must first discuss the origin of the name or the words used to describe an attribute of God. The Names we are about to study are, for the most part, names  that you will not see in your current translation of the Bible. The names, titles and attributes  we study go back to the original text. For the Old Testament we research the Hebrew meaning to words and in the New Testament it’s usually Greek, with a little Latin thrown in on the side. Start by reviewing the preface or introduction of your Bible. There will be a history of that translation and the publisher often details how they researched and used the original text.

The English language has “watered-down” so much of the original meaning of words. Ancient Hebrew and Greek words were rich with meaning (and still are for that matter.) One scholar says that it is best to have an Ancient Hebrew perception of God rather than our modern western view. This is not a language study on Hebrew and Greek words,  but we will look at some meanings that help show us how God used them to describe Himself through His Word. I highly encourage you to dive deep into the Word by doing your own word study as you meditate on Scripture. Looking at the meaning of original words makes Bible Study so exciting and fun. But….I warn you, Bible Study is addictive and contagious!

       O LORD, I pray that we all become infected with an addictive desire to study your Word and fall madly in love with You. I pray that we see You as You are and that the Word we study finds a home in our hearts and that we not only know your Word, Father, but we live it out and become a beacon of hope to those you send to us.

So let’s get started with the very first name that shows up in Genesis 1:1.

Elohim (EL-o-HEEM) is the name given to God as the Creator in the original Hebrew canon text of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh). It appears in the very first sentence.

“In the beginning, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth” GENESIS 1:1 (NIV).

Let’s start with a background on the word first used for God in the very first Scripture of the Bible.

EL comes from the Hebrew root אלה (‘ih) which means “strong, mighty, leader, authority” and was used to describe any god. When the Ancient Hebrews (hereinafter called “Ancients”) first used this word for God, it was written in pictograph form using the head of an Ox and a shepherd’s staff. Now this is where I get excited! The Ox represented strength and the staff represented authority. The Ancients saw God as the strong one with authority. But now it just gets even better! The staff also represented a staff on the shoulders….a yoke. When oxen were used to plow a field, two were “yoked” together, one older, stronger and more experienced, the other one younger and less experienced. The older guides and teaches the younger. The Ancients saw themselves yoked to God in this manner. I just absolutely love this depiction of God. Our Strong Authority guiding us and teaching us as we are yoked to Him. Do you also see the significance of the shepherd’s staff? I am awe struck just thinking about this. We will study the Shepherd later in this series.

Elohim is unique to the Hebrew language. It does not appear in any other ancient Semitic language. It is a masculine plural of EL or ELO’AH, the two most common ancient words used for divinity that translate as God. Hebrew, like many languages, has masculine, feminine, and non-gender words. This does not mean that a masculine word is only for males or a feminine word is only for females. It is simply a “form” of a word. Modern English has dropped this style of language and uses gender specific words.

The “im” at the end indicates more than one. The plural of the word does not mean plural “gods”. In English, plural means quantity, but in Hebrew it can also mean quality, something of great size or stature. In Hebrew the word Elohim is always used with singular verbs, adjectives and pronouns. Deuteronomy 10:17 (NIV) specifically says “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords…” Elohim is The God.

The name is unique! Would you really think that it would be anything else when it is a name used for God? A plural name used for one God! How exciting is that? Even in the name that is used in the first sentence of the Bible, there is a shadowing of the Trinity. Three Gods as One (also known as the Godhead).

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD (Yahweh) is our God (Elohim), the LORD is one.Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV)

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, together as One, created the heavens and the earth. One in essence, one in character, yet three persons united as one.

As you study the scriptures and questions below, think about all that God has created….even yourself. See the beauty and sovereignty that belongs to God. Ask God to show you His creation throughout the week. We often do not see his beauty because of what sin has done to His creation. But God will show you, in the smile of a child, the beauty of a sunset, the peace of a meadow, or a raging sea. Elohim is God, and Elohim is Creator.

God (Elohim) as Creator study verses:

The answers follow, but I encourage you to look up the Scriptures and answer the questions on your own. Take your time, you may do them all at once or one a day or one a week. The process is up to you. You can even search for more Scripture on your own. That’s the fun part, digging for yourself and finding the treasures.

  1. In Genesis Chapter 1, what did God say about his creation? (Also see 1 Timothy 4:4)
  2. How many times did he say it?
  3. From Genesis Chapter 1, name some of the things created.
  4. In Genesis 1:1 and 1:14, what was created that has such significance to us humans here on earth? (You might have to ponder on this one a little bit).
  5. What did God create? (Isaiah 45:7) (Ephesians 3:9) (Colossians 1:16)
  6. How did God create the angels, heavens, waters, sun, moon and stars (Psalm 148:2-5)
  7. Who made rainbows and what is their purpose? (Genesis 9:12-17)
  8. Who made mankind? (Genesis 1:26-27)
  9. In whose image did God make man? (Genesis 1:26-27, 9:6)
  10. To whom do we belong? (Psalm 100:3) (1 Corinthians 6:19) (Romans 14:8)
  11. Why did God create appointed times and boundaries? (Acts 17:26-28)
  12. What job did God give mankind? (Genesis 1:28)
  13. In your opinion, have we done a good job?
  14. Does this change how you might treat God’s creation?
  15. What did God do that brought life to man? (Genesis 2:7)
  16. Knowing that God Himself breathed into the nostrils of Adam to give us life, what does that say to your heart about how “personal” he feels in his creation of you?
  17. What should all of God’s creation do and why should they do it? (Psalm 148:2-5)(Revelation 4:11)
  1. Is there any other God than the one who created the heavens and made the earth and all that inhabits it? (Isaiah 45:18)
  2. Who else was involved in the Creation? (1 Corinthians 8:6) (Hebrew 1:2) (John 1:1-3) (Genesis 1:2) (Job 33:4)
  3. According to Isaiah 40:12, how big is our God?

Please take a moment and write all the things you know about Elohim and God as Creator.

Answers (based on Scripture from the New International Version)

  1.  That it was good
  2. 7 (seven is the number of perfection)
  3. Heavens, earth, light, (day and night), sky, land, seas, plants, trees, seed, fruit, sun, moon, stars, living creatures of the sea, birds, livestock, wild animals, man and woman.
  4. Time (let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, days and years).
  5. All things
  6. By command
  7. God made rainbows to be a sign of His covenant between Himself and the earth and all life that dwells upon the earth. When He sees it, He will remember the everlasting promise he made not to destroy by waters.
  8. Please note that it Says “let us”
  9. In God’s image and likeness
  10. To God, The Lord
  11. So that we would seek Him and reach out to Him.
  12. Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. To rule.
  13. (your own words here)
  14. (your own words here)
  15. He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
  16. (your words here)
  17. Praise the name of the Lord because he created them.
  18. No, there is no other
  19. Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit
  20. Big enough to hold the universe in the span of his hand!

Read the story of creation in Genesis Chapter one.

THE NAMES OF GOD: Introduction

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The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
    the righteous run to it and are safe.

Proverbs 18:10 (NIV)

What’s in a name? A name in ancient Biblical time meant something. Not only did it function to link people to family heritage, a name was thought to reveal a person’s nature or character. A name was important. It was who you were.

To know the names of God is to know God’s nature and character. To know God’s nature and character is to know WHO HE IS.

So many of our problems today are due to a lack of a deep intimate relationship with God. We might know about him, but do we really KNOW him. So many of us aren’t considered His friend (a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard), we are merely acquaintances (a person known to one, but usually not a close friend) and sadly, most of the world doesn’t know Him at all. They have a false belief of who He is or who He is not.

To have an intimate relationship with someone, to be called a friend, we need to spend time getting to know them personally and yes, we actually need to spend time WITH them.

The word intimate means: associated in close personal relations: an intimate friend; characterized by or involving warm friendship or a personally close or familiar association or feeling: very private; closely personal: one’s intimate affairs; of an association, knowledge, understanding; arising from close personal connection or familiar experience.

Wouldn’t you love to have a close personal relationship with God? A warm, personally close, very private friendship where you knew each other’s hearts and you had knowledge and understanding of each other? This is the kind of relationship that Moses had with God. Read what God said to Aaron and Miriam when He heard them jealously complain about their brother.

Numbers 12:6-8 (NLT)

6 And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say:

“If there were prophets among you,
    I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions.
    I would speak to them in dreams.
7 But not with my servant Moses.
    Of all my house, he is the one I trust.
8 I speak to him face to face,
    clearly, and not in riddles!
    He sees the Lord as he is.
So why were you not afraid
to criticize my servant Moses?”

Oh! To be a close personal friend to God. One that He trusts! A friendhip built on clear communication with someone you know. To see the Lord as He is. That is an intimate relationship that we should all pursue with gusto.

A close intimate friend knows the desires of a friend’s heart. Do we know the desires of God’s heart? What gives him joy or makes him sad? Do we know the things that delight him or make him angry? Do we know what He loves or what He hates? Is He merciful or vengeful?   Do we know how much He loves us and to what extent He goes in order to display that love? Do we really know him the way He wants to be known?

There is an illustration that compares the relationship between God and most Christians today in a story about a man (“Joe”) who mentions that he is attending a sporting event with a famous athlete. The athlete was playing in the game and Joe was in the stands watching the game! For example purposes we will just say it was Labron James, one of Joe’s favorite basketball players. Joe knows who Labron is, what sport he plays and that Labron is very good at what he does. They are often at the same events at the same time. However, because there isn’t a personal relationship, Joe knows very little about Labron other than what he does for a living. If they were to pass in the hall or see each other at a restaurant, there would be no friendly exchange or loving embrace between two close friends. There would only be Joe’s admiration from afar of a great athlete. That’s the kind of relationship most of us have with God, a far off admiration of a God we don’t know personally.

The purpose of this study is to become a personal and intimate friend with God. We are going to spend some time with Him and allow Him to tell us who He is …..in his own words! Now that’s exciting! God Himself is going to reveal his awesome and wonderful personality and nature to us through his various names (some are actually titles, but we will call them names all the same.) He already knows every little intimate detail about us, but like Joe and Labron, God knows who we are but we know very little, if anything, about him.

Psalm 91 is one of my favortite passages in Scripture. It has references to several names that we will study. Verse 14 leads us to one reasonwhy we should  learn The names of God. Knowing His name, is knowing Who He Is, and knowing Who He Is, is how we acknowldege Him.

PSALM 91 (NIV)

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

We are going to discover an Awesome God. One who knows arts and crafts better than anyone I’ve ever known! He can create something from nothing! He is loving, kind, merciful, doctor, healer, judge, unfailing ……. He is Elohim, El Roi, El Shaddai, Lord, Lion of Judah, Savior, Holy Spirit and so much more!

The Bible is God’s story to us. It’s a perfect book where He tells his story through the precious things He created. He tells us so much about Himself through pages upon pages of human history. Yes, God uses us to tell His story! The Bible is complete, but His story goes on forever and we all get to be a vital part of it!

I can’t wait to get started, my friend, so grab your Bible, pen and paper. Things are about to change!

In the sessions to come, we will have study questions that come form Scripture. However, for today, please take a moment to reflect on your relationship with God and do the following exercise.

WHO IS GOD

A good relationship is built on honesty. It starts with a discussion of facts. Where are we in the relationship and how can we make it better. So, in your own words write a description of God and your current relationship with Him on a piece of paper or better yet, in a jouranl that you will use for this study. Be truthful and let it come from your heart. This is personal. You do not need to reveal this too anyone else unless you want to do so. This is between you and your God. This is in an honest inventory of your relationship. He longs to hear what you have to say! He wants your honesty! He wants a deeper more personal and intimate relationship with you! (We will do this exercise again at the end of the study to see if our view of who God is has changed.)

A Prayer for Spirtual Wisdom and Growth

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The more I read the letters of the Apostle Paul to early churches, the more his prayers are highlighted within my heart. He loved Jesus so very much and he loved the people of the church with such passion. His letters are full of prayers that should be etched on our hearts for each other.

The following prayer is adapted from Ephesians 1:15-23 and 3:14-21.

A Prayer of Spiritual Wisdom and growth for Victory Family Church

All praise and glory, to our Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us, with every spiritual blessing, because God made us to be His family!

God, I thank you for my church family and the people you have brought into my life. Thank you for their faith in Jesus and the love they demonstrate for your people.

I pray, Father, for each and every one of the people of VFC, including myself, that You, our generous, merciful and loving God will give us, spiritual wisdom and insight so that we grow in knowledge of You.

I pray that our hearts are open, receptive and flooded with light so that we can be confident in the hope that you have given to those you have chosen to be your holy people, rich and glorious in the inheritance through Jesus Christ.

I pray, Father, that we understand your incredible power for us who believe.
I pray that we would know, understand and BELIEVE that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us! That this same power that gave Jesus all authority, far above any ruler or authority, in this world or the world to come, has also been given to us.

I pray that we grow, like Jesus did when he was on earth, in favor of God and man so that the work you have assigned to us is fully completed.

In the awesome name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God be the glory.
Amen.

APPOINTED TIME

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In preparation for an upcoming Beth Moore Bible Study on 1 & 2 Thessalonians, I decided to read Acts 16 and 17 to get a feel of the setting.

In doing so, Acts 17:26 caught my attention.

“and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation”. ACTS 17:26 NASB

Once in a while, something happens or something crosses my mind and I wonder how in the world I got where I am and why. Am I where I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to do? Then a Scripture like Acts 17:26 pops in the picture.This scripture made me realize that I am exactly where God made me to be!

I have entrusted Him with my life and in knowing that, I know that I was born at the right time, to the parents I was meant to have, in the land I was meant to love, to do what I was meant to do.

I couldn’t help but stop and praise God. I know that throughout my life I have made choices that were not in the will of God, and I have suffered through many of those choices. However, through it all, God has blessed me… more than I realize and definitely so much more than I ever deserved. And through it all, I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be at this particular time doing what I am meant to do. Oh, the peace that brings to my soul!

Father, you have my life. You have my heart. Guide me so that I will always be where you want me to be, doing what you want me to do for Your Kingdom purposes. Amen.

I LOVE THE WORD!

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I love reading and studying The a Word of God. I just love everything about it. I love reading it, I love reading about it, and I love reading the stories of the people in it!

Spending time in Gods Word is spending time with Him! I treasure these moments because I love Him so much.

My prayer for everyone who sees this post is that they also fall head over heels in love with it……. And Him.

Here are a just a few reasons why:

It is God breathed (inspired). 2 Timothy 3:16
It cannot be broken. John 10:35
It is settled in Heaven FOREVER. Psalm 119:89
In its entirety, it is truth. Psalm 119:160
It teaches, rebukes and trains. 2 Timothy 3:16
It makes me complete and equipped, 2 Timothy 3:17
It is my spiritual food. 1 Peter 2:22
It gives me joy and rejoicing. Jeremiah 15:16
It helps me live a clean life. Psalm 119:9
It helps me to not sin against God. Psalm 119:11
It makes me strong. 1 John 2:14
It makes me overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2:14
It is my lamp and my light. Psalm 119:105
It is health to my flesh. Proverbs 4:20-22
It cleanses me. John 15:3
It builds me up and gives me an inheritance. Acts 20:32
AND
It helps me show Jesus that I love him, if I hear it and do what it says. Luke 8:21

Exiles

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Its amazing how reading one thing about the Bible makes you think of other things in the Bible. Often they appear to be unrelated until you uncover the mystery within. No matter what you are reading or studying in the Bible, God has a way of speaking to your heart and reminding you of a promise, reminding you that all is well. I just Love that about Him.

While reading The New American Commentary on the Book of Matthew, I came across Matthew 8:20 where Jesus tells the scribe that wants to follow him “ Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

The commentary explains that Jesus knew the scribe did not understand the commitment it would take to follow him. Jesus had a home in Capernaum but he was rarely there. Besides, on a deeper level, the followers of Jesus know that this earth is only a temporary home.  Our citizenship is in Heaven (Phil 3:20). The commentary goes on to say that we are sojourners (exiles) in this world. (1 Peter 1:1).

So, reading of being an exile made me think of one of my favorite passages,  Jeremiah 29:11-14. So many of us read Jeremiah 29:11 and stop. We even have it etched on our hearts.But the three verses that follow just make 29:11 pop! They bring pure joy to my heart! They gave me a peace that I never thought possible. Three times in these four verses it says “Declares the LORD”.  That makes what is written so powerful.  God never breaks a promise! NEVER.

Read these verses, memorize them,  and find the peace that comes from them.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

New International Version (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

FAITH

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Most of us who believe in Jesus believe who he says he is and that he can do what the Bible says he can do and we believe all that was written about him.

But often, we doubt when the need becomes personal.

I was reminded today, or most likely, it was brought to my attention today what answers prayer! FAITH. We know Jesus can do it, we just doubt sometimes that he will do it for our personal needs.

To the woman with the issue of blood he said in Luke 8:48 NLT “Daughter”, he said to her “your faith has made you well. Go in peace” . She was made well.

To Jairus, whose daughter had just died Jesus said in Luke 8:50 NLT “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.” And she was!

To the blind men in Matthew 9:27-34 NLT Jesus asked them “Do you believe I can make you see? Yes Lord, they told him, we do. Then He touched their eyes and said, because of your faith, it will happen”. And it did.

Jesus heals, but it is our faith that makes it happen.

Rejoice my friend, believe and have faith! Don’t worry! Give thanks and praise …….and believe!

Lord, I believe in you, increase my faith and heal me from any unbelief.

The Sword

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The Word, Gods Word, The sword of the Spirit

 

The sword is the only weapon in the full armor of God that is both defensive and offensive.

Five of the six weapons in Ephesians 6:14-17 are mostly defensive weapons. The belt of truth protects us from the lies of the devil, the breastplate of righteousness protects our heart, the shoes of peace protect us from negative attitudes, the shield of faith protects us from the devils fiery arrows and the helmet of salvation protects our mind from the thoughts the enemy sends our way.

If you had a sword, a beautiful and mighty sword that you displayed on your wall, it’s no good to you, when the enemy walks in the door if it’s on your wall.  By the time you get it down, the enemy has already won the battle. 

And that’s the way the Bible is. It’s no good to you if all it does is sit on a shelf or on your night stand gathering dust and it’s rarely opened. It doesn’t do any good when you need it to fight the enemy.

Say you have a sword and you want to learn to use it. Let’s imagine it’s a big, thick, heavy sword like you see in the movies of Biblical times or the times of gladiators.

When you first pick it up and try to swing it or jab it a couple of times, your arms get tired and you give up and you say “that’s too hard”.  But you pick it back up and  the more you practice with it and the more you  learn you to stand properly and your posture’s right and you start swinging it a couple of times a day, pretty soon you learn to use it. You learn to do it just right; you learn to use it to block blows from the opponent. You learn to strike. You can use it as defense and you can use it as an offense to attack.

The same is with the Word of God. If you open it just a little bit today and just get the feel of it; then tomorrow  you pick it up again and  you do it some more and then a little bit more, you will soon find that  not only can you hold it,  it’s actually become useful. You stand right, (in the Word of God), you have your posture just right (in Jesus) and before you know it, you’re a warrior!

You have that sword and you don’t want to be without it. It goes everywhere you go, in your heart, and any time the enemy comes at you, you have it there for defense. You have it there for protection or attack when you see the enemy hurting others around you. When you see him headed your way, you stand ready and you go after him and you chase him away because he knows you know how to use that sword.

Let’s open our Bibles and be the warriors we are meant to be!

Umbrellas

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One of the homework assignments this week  in the study of the Apostle Paul centered on his voyage to Rome. Paul’s “Umbrella of Faith” in the storm covered all that were on board the ship and all the lives were saved when the ship was destroyed as it ran aground on the island of Malta. After that, many on the island became believers and were healed.

I have an umbrella. For the most part, it rides in my car behind the seat. Often, when it’s raining, I leave it in the car and dash to the building hoping I don’t get drenched or I carry it without opening it, because it’s really not raining that hard.

How often do we treat our faith that way? We have it; we just don’t use it like it is meant to be used. We carry it along in case it’s needed but we never open it. We jump out in the middle of a storm, thinking we can handle it  on our own or we think it’s not bad enough to bother Jesus about.

We need to open our faith umbrellas! Rain or shine. They cover us when life is raining down on us and they keep us cool and calm in the sunshine.

The beginning of faith is like a little paper umbrella in a fancy drink. It’s not very big. Then, as we study God’s Word and we place it in our hearts, the umbrella of faith grows and begins to cover us.  Soon, we notice that our umbrella is quite large and we have family members, friends and even a stranger or two under there with us.

This made me think of my church. When it’s raining or, like last week, sleeting, you can see volunteers walking out, with large umbrellas, offering protection from the elements to those coming in and going out. What an awesome metaphor of how our church family covers each other and those we come in contact with, in faith.

Umbrellas: I don’t think I will ever look at them in the same way, ever again.

THE KEY TO LIFE

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Deuteronomy 30 is an amazing and eye opening chapter of the Bible. I recommend that yoou read it for yourself.

Chapter 30 closes out chapters 27-29 where Moses explains the laws of Blessings and Curses. These laws are not only rules to live by, but rules of nature (like gravity). If you do this……that happens. If you jump off a building….you fall.  If you love and obey God, you live and are blessed. Simple.

Verses 1-10 tell us if we return to the LORD, He will bring blessings back into our lives and make us even more prosperous than our ancestors (v.5b). I love the part that says that He will change our hearts and those of our children so that we will love Him with all our hearts and we will LIVE (v.6).

God delights in being good to us. He delights in those who obey his commands, if we love Him with all of our heart and soul (v.9-10). He DELIGHTS in being good to us! How awesome is that!

I often wonder how I can please God. The answer to that is so incredible.  All I have to do is love and obey Him…and He will delight in me! He will delight in doing good for me.

CHOOSE LIFE

God gives us options. He allows us to choose. It is not difficult to understand nor is it hidden from us or too far away to grasp (v. 11-14). We can choose life or death, prosperity or disaster.

Oh, that we would choose life and make the choice to love God with all our hearts and commit firmly to Him. THIS IS THE KEY TO LIFE (v 20b) and we will live long in the land God promises!

Psalm 1 explains the choices perfectly.

Psalm 1 (NLT)

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.

4 But not the wicked!
    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
    Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
    but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.