“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15
In the 24th chapter of Joshua, the Lord God speaks through Joshua reminding the nation of Israel how He had guided and protected them through the years. Their covenant with God was renewed at Shechem on that day. Joshua’s famous words “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” reverberates throughout history and is still applicable today. With all the distractions and temptations that abound in our world, the query remains the same to the Christian: choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Will you serve your own desires and live according to the understanding you have concocted for yourselves out of scripture, shirking your responsibility of living out what you know to be true? Or will you trust God and His word and live according to His clearly laid out precepts? The choice is entirely yours. Doing the former is tantamount to serving false gods, for those things which have replaced God in your life are nothing more than idols. Doing the latter shall bring you lasting peace and fulfillment. Too many times people have tried to live for God, yet at the first sign of trial or trouble they scurry away and hide behind a cloud of doubt and confusion. God’s tests find many of us wanting; lacking the spiritual stamina to hold up against temptation and desire. We have been given so much by God. People in other less fortunate countries must sit in darkened closets with a lit candle or small flashlight to read their Bibles, for even owning one is against the law. We have religious freedom, yet easily become either lazy or pompous thinking we know enough of God to carry us through to the other side. My goodness are we a foolish lot; myself included. Many of us are knowledgeable in the things of God yet fail to put them into practice. In spite of any hardship, in spite of any obstacle, we must be willing to say with eternal conviction “as for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord.” Whom shall you serve?
Walk with the King today and be a blessing!!
