As For Me

"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

Joshua is finished; God has used him to conquer Israel. The people have divided up the land and have settled into their lives and homes. Joshua gives one last sermon, one last talk to the people. To keep this land he is saying, to have peace finally make a choice. You can choose to follow the Lord with all your heart or you can choose not to. You can serve God or you can serve the idols in your life. You are going to serve someone, either yourself or God.

Some people believe we don't have choices when it comes to God. You will either follow him or not, you don't choose. But I disagree and here is one of the passage I see in the Bible which state I do have a choice. I can choose to serve God or not. There isn't anything 'irresistible' here, you choose. Why is the choice important, because of depth, depth in love, depth in relationship with God. He gives a choice for the sake of knowing him much deeper than having no choice at all. He understood by giving us this choice we could reject him, but we could also surrender all to him. By choosing to love him we give of ourselves freely, we have the opportunity to grow in him in ways freedom can only allow.

Joshua made a choice, 'But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua declares whom he will serve. He recites the past in which God saved them from the bondage of slavery, God guided them through the wilderness and delivered the promise land. Joshua had seen all of this with his own eyes. For him it was simple, because he had seen God working from the beginning.

How about your life, take an inventory and write down where God has delivered and guided you, saved you from bondage, from wondering, gave you purpose and direction. From that choose to give him your whole heart, trust him with all you have. He will give you the promise land of peace and contentment. If you never trusted God, start today. If you're still in slavery to something, or someone, pray for delivery and trust in God to lead you. If you're still in the wilderness of life trust God to guide you out. If your home living in peace have contentment with where you are, remembering where God has delivered you from.

As for me and my household, we choose to follow the Lord.

-ps