See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and

The words of Moses, “See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil... I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life,” thunder across the ages like the voice of eternity itself. They come from the Book of Deuteronomy, in the sacred texts of Scripture, spoken by Moses as he stood before the people of Israel at the edge of the Promised Land. It was his final address, his last breath of counsel before his own death. After leading a nation through wilderness and rebellion, through hunger, war, and wandering, he gathered them and spoke these immortal words—words that are not bound to one people or one time, but to all of humanity. For in them, Moses revealed the eternal truth that life is not merely lived—it is chosen.

In this ancient declaration, Moses did not speak of life and death merely as biological states, but as moral and spiritual realities. Life is not only the beating of the heart but the harmony of the soul with what is good, true, and divine. To live, in his meaning, is to walk in the light of righteousness, in alignment with the laws of God that nourish both the body and the spirit. Death, on the other hand, is not merely the ceasing of breath—it is the decay of conscience, the corruption of the heart, the loss of purpose. When he said, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse,” he was declaring that every human being stands daily at the crossroads of moral choice. And upon those choices, our destiny is built.

The origin of the quote lies at the very heart of the covenant between God and Israel. After their long journey from Egypt, the people stood ready to enter a land flowing with milk and honey—but Moses knew that abundance without virtue would lead only to ruin. So he placed before them two paths: the path of obedience, which brings life and blessing, and the path of defiance, which brings death and curse. This was no mere warning—it was an invitation to awaken. He was teaching that freedom, the gift they had been given, was not an escape from responsibility, but the power to choose rightly.

In his words we find the eternal rhythm of existence—the tension between good and evil, love and hate, creation and destruction. Every soul, from the first breath to the last, must choose between these twin forces. The young choose when they decide whom to love, how to live, what to serve. The powerful choose when they wield authority either to uplift or to oppress. Even nations choose between mercy and domination, peace and war. Moses’ call—“Therefore choose life”—is a summons not only to the people of his time, but to every generation that forgets its moral center in the pursuit of gain.

History bears witness to this truth. In the dark days of the Second World War, when humanity stood on the brink of annihilation, there were those who chose death—the architects of tyranny who built empires of hatred and despair. But there were also those who chose life, even at the cost of their own. Think of Oskar Schindler, a man who began as a profiteer but was transformed by compassion. In a world where evil reigned, he risked everything to save the lives of more than a thousand Jewish souls. In choosing mercy over indifference, he chose life—and his name became a light in a time of night. His story stands as a testament that even in the midst of destruction, the choice for goodness renews the world.

To choose life, as Moses meant it, is not a single act but a way of being. It means to choose forgiveness over bitterness, hope over despair, compassion over cruelty, faith over fear. It means to plant seeds where others sow destruction, to build where others tear down. This is not the easy path. It demands courage, patience, and humility. Yet it is the only path that leads to peace, the only one that gives meaning to the brief days we walk upon the earth. For every day, the Creator sets before us life and death, and every decision, however small, tips the scales toward one or the other.

The wisdom of Moses endures because it is both warning and promise. If we live without reflection, if we surrender our will to greed or anger, we die before our time. But if we live with conscience, if we align ourselves with love and truth, we partake in a life that is eternal—not merely endless, but divine in quality. To choose life is to affirm creation itself, to join in the work of sustaining what is good, beautiful, and holy in the world.

So hear this, O seeker of wisdom: every dawn presents you with the same command Moses gave to his people. In your thoughts, your words, your deeds—choose life. Do not drift through existence like a shadow; live as one who knows that each breath is sacred. Build bridges of kindness, speak truth even when it trembles in your throat, and turn your face toward the light. For to choose life is to choose God, and in that choice lies the fulfillment of all that was promised—to live not just upon the earth, but in the harmony of eternity.