Forty years of wandering in the wilderness have finally brought the people of God to the plains of Moab. Before them is the Jordan River, and across from that, the Promised Land. This land was a fixture of their hopes and dreams. It was a land they taught their children about, pictured being there, told stories of a life that flowed with the abundance of God’s blessings. “Just wait,” they would say, “Just wait until we finally arrive at the land that was promised to our fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It will be a place of plenty, a place we get to call our own, a place of security and permanence.”  They knew the stories of the horrors in Egypt which marked their past. They regularly remembered the great Passover of God and could still taste the bitter herbs of all that was lost. But looking forward, there was the promise of something more, the promise of joy, contentment, and rest.

A whole new generation has grown up in the wilderness, a generation who lived on the stories of God’s provision and care for His people. Moses gathers them on the plain and recounts the great deeds and commands of their God. As they now stand poised to enter the land, Moses says, “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.” If they continue to love the Lord their God by walking in His ways and keeping His commandments, they will thrive in this land, blessed by God. But if they do not, if their hearts are turned away to worship other gods and serve them, then they will perish. He says, “I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”

There they are, gathered and ready to enter the land they had hoped and dreamed of, and Moses puts before them a choice, and it is a matter of life and death. And this choice has marked the lives of the faithful people of God to this day, with consequences that are just as profound. You see, you have crossed the Jordan River. You have come through the waters of Holy Baptism. You are the people of God living in His blessings. The life you live is made up of innumerable choices, choices which can lead to life and good or death and evil. Countless options lie before you. Different pathways shape the contours of your life. What course will you take? What is your guide?

As we watch our children and grandchildren grow, we rightly fear their choices. We long for them to avoid our mistakes and learn from our hard lessons of life. But we soon learn they, just like us, are finally going to be making their own decisions. And our age, just like all the generations that have gone before us, has its voices of guidance and instruction along the way. In fact, today we have a whole class of people who make a living being “influencers.” Our lives are saturated with beautiful, creative, inspiring individuals who influence our choices. They are constantly encouraging us to find our happiness, speak our truth, and know our worth.

Choosing the good is choosing to follow your dreams, to have the courage of your convictions, and press on to the goal, whatever it may be, that will bring you happiness. For some, this may be financial security. Amassing enough wealth to live without fear, to be independent, to travel and explore this incredible world becomes the goal. For others, choosing the good is to pursue a life which will positively impact others, perhaps through your art, or teaching, or acts of compassion. Here you find meaning and purpose, and, therefore, the source of your happiness. So, do not let the trolls derail you. Rid yourselves of those things that would hold you back and do what you know is right in your own heart. I cannot tell you what is good for you. Only you can know that, so go for it.

But what if this is not choosing life at all? What if our pursuit of happiness or fame or wealth turns us away from walking in the ways of the Lord? The warning Moses gives is that we might be lured into worshipping other gods and serving them. The places we turn to find and root our identity, our understanding of who we are, can quickly become the gods we serve. The thing which is the source of your meaning and security, even if it is identified as happiness, can become a god you worship. Perhaps much of what our world declares to be good might, for the people of God, lead toward death.

Take, as an example, our Lord Himself. What does He choose? Does he choose compassion? Yes, He does. Over and over again, He responds to the hurting and broken people of the world as sheep without a shepherd, and He loves them. Does He choose obedience to the Father? Yes, in all things yes. He lives a perfect life without sin or stain, keeping perfectly all the commands and decrees of God. But what else does He choose? He chose sacrifice, He chose opposition, He chose to be emptied out and despised by the world, and He chose death for Himself. For no one takes His life but He willingly lays it down. Why? Because He chooses you. He chooses your life, your eternal joy, and your happiness in the age to come.

It is into Jesus’ death that you are baptized. Into His death you find life and salvation. So, choosing life in this age is not necessarily choosing what makes you happy, but choosing death in Christ. To choose life is to repent, to confess you have sinned in thought, word, and deed. To choose life is to say you cannot walk in the ways of God, you do not keep His commands, statutes, and rules. To choose life is to hold fast to His voice, which declares, “You are forgiven!” You are loved. You are the saints of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ alone. This, and this alone, is the way of life.

Our days here under the sun are not empty of meaning and purpose. What you do matters. It is a matter of life and death. We may not be marked by success or wealth or even happiness, but here we congregate to choose life by gathering around our Lord’s Word and Sacraments. As the only one who can grant life to sinners, Jesus comes to you to wash you clean and feed you the very source of eternal life, cleansing you from every sin and failure. For Christ Himself is your life and the length of your days. He is your Promised Land.