Musing – What is Your Greatest Power?

Hebraic Musing – What is Your Greatest Power?

My favorite OT passages starts in Deut. 28  “If you fully obey the Lord your God…”  followed by 11 verses of blessings.  Then Deut. 28:15 starts with “However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:”   And there are 53 verses following which describe the resulting curses. 

Then in Deut. 30:15-20  God asked Moses, and He is probably asking each of us “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.”  Then God tells us to “Keep his commands, decrees and laws…But if your heart turns away… 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…”  NIV

When we think of what we have, our possessions usually come to mind?  Stuff like money, health, wisdom, possessions, abilities, etc.   God asked Moses in Exod. 4:2 "What is that in your hand?" Moses replied simply "A staff,"   According to Jewish tradition, at that point Moses was already considerably wealthy; and he was wise and strong. So why did Moses answer that the only thing he had was a staff?  Moses acknowledged that his wealth, his health and even his strength were not truly his own. All the things Moses had could be easily taken away by God or the world.

So why was the staff so important?  The staff in Moses’ hand represented his ability to make choices.  The staff, which could be turned in any direction and lead Moses and the people on any path, was all he truly had.

In the late 60’s I read a little self-help book “Your Greatest Power” authored by Martin Kohe.  It is an easy 45 minute read and builds curiosity and then reveals the secret of your greatest power.  Your greatest power is Your Power to Choose.  And the results of the choices are spelled out in the blessings and curses promised in Deuteronomy 28.

The power to choose is the only power you have.  So pray to God for the courage to choose wisely. 

Points to Ponder

How many choices do we make in a day?

How do each of your daily choices affect your future?

How do others view you based on the choices they observe?

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ….
               but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."   Joshua 24:15

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                   November 1 2016

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage” “Musings - A Victorious Life”  “Musings - The Torah and New Testament”
Weekly “Hebraic Musings”      www.InsightsByYosef.com

Note:  Inspired by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein’s  “All that We Have”   Sept.29, 2016