You might be thinking 🤔, “What in the world???🌎

No, I haven’t become Jewish. But ADONAI (the LORD) spoke to me through a Messianic Jewish daily devotional today.

I have been struggling with higher pain levels again in my spine. Most days 6.5 or higher. I decided that I would be in pain whether at home or traveling to be with family and friends.

Several weeks ago, I was on a plane headed to Arizona. As the plane took off, I watched the people become what seemed to be smaller than ants. And as the plane gained altitude, cars and semi trucks seemed to become smaller than fleas!

I thought of ADONAI who is higher than the heavens and the earth yet He knows each one of us so intimately that He knows our thoughts and numbers the hairs on our heads. Yet, we are so tiny and seemingly insignificant! Why does He care about us?

I have been struggling with that question more and more especially due to the fact that I have not only had the high pain in my spine (7-8’s) and medium pain in my abdomen (5-6’s), but more and more I am having migraines that are as painful (5-7’s)😖 and affecting my eye.

With so much pain in my body, I can almost understand Job in Job 13:15 when he says, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him; yet I will argue my ways to His face.” But I don’t want to argue my ways to His face, I just want to be with Him face to face.

I know to be with Him is to be without pain and suffering. To be with Him would be absent of ALL that I am going through.

I read my devotional for today. It spoke of Yeshua (Jesus) becoming a curse for us so that we would no longer be cursed. Deuteronomy 27:26 says, “A curse on anyone who does not confirm the words of this Torah (law) by putting them into practice.”

We are all cursed to die unless we receive the Messiah’s (Savior’s) redemption and payment on the cross. Part of receiving Him is being obedient to Him.

Not by any coincidence, my book mark is on two pages and at one point flopped over…so the devotional book opens to “Lechayyiam!” Which means, “to life!”

In Deuteronomy 30:19, ADONAI tells His people to choose life or death, blessing or cursing.

HMMMM 🤔! By continuing to focus on wanting to be with ADONAI face to face, I am choosing death… YES, I am. I’m choosing selfishness and self-pity over the life and blessings ADONAI has for me here in the land of the living. I am also not fully receiving the redemption price that Yeshua has paid on my behalf if I am not living for Him. Ouch!

Uvacharta bachayim…”and you shall choose life”! Part of choosing life requires us to “be chosen” by ADONAI. It means that we choose daily (and moment by moment if necessary) to accept the gifts, challenges, pain, opportunities, responsibilities and purpose that ADONAI has given us.

Today I will. . choose the way of life over the way of death. What will you choose?

L’Chayim!