Seriously?!,.

I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. Dt. 30:19

It is interesting how words and statements significantly convey greater meaning and importance by adding a simple ending to them. Be it a question mark, exclamation point, comma or a plain period. Things are either in question, emphasized, paused or simply ended. The way we reason, speak and act can take on a whole new meaning and provide completely different consequences. Moses’ statement in Dt. 30:19 is simple. God has put before us life or death, good or evil…therefore we must choose wisely.

Life comes full of questions, of which a majority will never be answered. Much of it holds personal value with choices that effect a greater whole.

Questioning is good, as it keeps us looking, listening, learning and pausing is powerful as for reflection, reasoning and choosing more sensibly. The life we’ve been granted is one significant dignity, to be lived freely. This liberty (freedom) is to do not as one wants, but as one should.

That is the power of a question and the strength in a comma.

Exclamations are effective in grabbing one’s attention. It is also a powerful way to convey meaning, although if not done correctly can be misinterpreted as rude and nasty. Life is best not in a scream or rage but learned when pausing and many things ending with a period, never be touched again.

The practice and experience of life makes us the individuals we are meant to be.

The biggest and boldest impacting experiences occur when a question mark is strengthened into an exclamation (discovery) of an important truth, that provides a reasonable end to a life altering situation (period).

There will come a time where all questions will be answered. When the crook of the question straightens to an exclamation (exasperation), all will pause and life as we know it on earth will cease to exist. The choices we make now provide a direction toward blessings and curses, and the eventual life we lead to the grave (death).

Salvation of your soul is a serious situation. To be questioned (who am I, why am I here and where am I going?), exclaimed (salvation!), contemplated (comma,) and then ending in the Person of Jesus Christ (period).

Listening and learning from Him, “Time is nature’s way to keep everything from happening all at once.” Os Guinness, Carpe Diem Redeemed.

Submitted by Pastor Dave Jagemann, Chapel of Faith