My first thought was I can’t believe that this will be my 95th blog and I haven’t ever done this one? At least a couple of hundred Facebook status updates and I have never made this claim?
I never cease to be amazed at the depth and width of God’s Word. Day after day I just sit and shake my head and say this is crazy God; just CRAZY! Yes LORD, this day I will choose who I will serve and it will be YOU.
This affirmation from Joshua 24:15 is one of the most famous scriptures of all time. But this brings me back to the power of choice and intent.
Joshua had called a family meeting. He was getting old and knew his days were almost over and he called the family of Israel together to remind them of what the Lord had done for them in their promised land and to advise them of some of the dangers and pitfalls of disobedience.
He shows it is important that we constantly look back at what God has done, talk about His Word and know from where He has brought us. He spoke of Abraham, Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Moses and the many battles He had won for them. God had chosen this family and Joshua is reminding them of their heritage and importance of serving the LORD.
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”(NKJ)
It is a choice today for you and me. Who will we serve today? Will we choose to serve Him or other gods in our lives?
After challenging the people and asking if they were serious he made a covenant with them and said in 24:23 “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.”(NKJ) We must put away the other gods we place before our LORD. Joshua even told them they could not do it in 24:19 but the people confessed their allegiance in 24:24 And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”
Will we? We have a choice. Will we put away the other gods that are among us? Who will you serve today?
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. God help us to be faithful and please go before us to fight those battles that need to be fought and take us to the land you have planned for each of us.
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
And those “foreign gods” can be so many things. Worry, for one. 🙂
Julie, soooo true..whatever it is that holds us captive or consumes our focus..May we be reminded and turn back. Thanks!!!
Goodness gracious Tom…”as for me”…I’m positive I”ll serve the Lord but. …”and my house” …this part stretches my faith. Especially this week.
As usual God touched my heart with exactly what I needed today through the affirmation.
Thanks Robin! I pray for your house and mine that God knows we want to serve Him with all we are and pray that all members of our household would as well. May God give us strength, courage and the stamina to serve Him and pray fervantly that we all do…have a blessed day!