Joshua 24:15 - Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve. (update)
Joshua 24:15 - Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve. (update)
Joshua 24:15 (NLT) But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD,
then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your
ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the
Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will
serve the LORD."
Josh 24:15 (CWR) If you can't serve Him and Him alone, then make
up your minds whom you will serve. Will it be the gods from beyond
the Euphrates, the gods of Egypt or the gods of the Amorites where
you live? Make up your minds once and for all. As for me and my
family, we've made up our minds. We will serve the Lord!
CONTEXT: Choose Whom You Will Serve: Jos. 24:14-28.
APPLICATION COMMENTARY with Emphasis On Verse 15.
One of the most famous of Old Testament affirmations of faith,
"As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" [The 365-Day
Devotional Commentary]
[God's] invitation is clear and nonnegotiable. He gives all
and we give him all. Simple and absolute. He is clear in what he
asks and clear in what he offers. The choice is up to us. Isn't it
incredible that God leaves the choice to us? Think about it. There are many
things in life we can't choose. We can't, for example, choose the
weather. We can't control the economy.
We can't choose whether or not we are born with a big nose or
blue eyes or a lot of hair. We can't even choose how people respond
to us.
But we can choose where we spend eternity. The big choice,
God leaves to us. The critical decision is ours.
That is the only decision which really matters. [Grace For
The Moment SB By Max Lucado re Jos. 24:15]
Jesus places mankind in two categories: those who follow Him
and those who do not. Those who follow Him are in the minority and
must struggle against the current of our time in order to be obedient
to Him. The Lord calls His followers to a life of selflessness;
the world encourages each to get all that he can. The Lord calls
His followers to a life of patient waiting; the world urges
immediate gratification. The Lord calls His followers to labor for the
kingdom; the world strives for bigger, better, and the most now. What do
you do more than others? Are you more selfless or selfish? Are you
waiting or striving? Does what you do have eternal or temporal
significance? Think about it! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom re Mat.5:47]
Man is made to worship and he will worship something. It ought
to be Almighty God. But man is very inventive in this regard and
may worship stone, wood, money, lust, another person, an idea or
many other things. And what man worships, man serves.... Consider this
as you look at your life and the things you serve. They will
reflect what it is you truly worship. Let your service be rendered unto
God Almighty. It is the only service that has eternal value and
whose product will continue on throughout all eternity, to God's glory
and your benefit. Be warned, anything less than God that you serve,
the product of that service will be burned up and destroyed. Today,
choose to serve the Lord. [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
It's easy to slip into a quiet rebellion--going about life in
your own way. But the time comes when you have to choose who or what
will control you. The choice is yours. Will it be God, your own
limited personality, or another imperfect substitute? Once you have
chosen to be controlled by God's Spirit, reaffirm your choice every
day. [Life Application SB]
ILLUSTRATIONS
Several men went on a mission trip to Haiti where they met a
nineteen-year-old boy who loved Christ deeply. He impressed them so profoundly
that they invited him to visit the United States.
Upon arrival a whole new world opened up before this young
Haitian's eyes. He had never slept between sheets, never had three meals
on the same day, never used indoor plumbing, and never tasted
McDonald's.
While traveling the U.S., this godly young man made many new
friends. At the end of a six-week-long visit, his sponsors hosted a
farewell dinner in his honor. After dinner several members of my group
offered warm parting remarks. Then they asked the young Haitian if he
would like to say anything.
"Yes," he said as he rose, "I would. I want to thank you so
much for inviting me here. I have really enjoyed this time in the
United States. But I am also very glad to be going home. You have so
much in America, that I'm beginning to lose my grip on my day-to-day
dependency on Christ."
Do you have "so much" that you find it hard to keep a grip on
your day-to-day dependency on Christ? Or worse, have you lost your
grip?
When we don't need to depend on Christ, we will not.... Our
natural tendency is to depend on self, not Christ. Depending on Christ
is an act of the will by faith, not the natural disposition of our
heart.
I have prayed that God will always keep some major unmet need
in my life so that I will always depend upon Him. To be really in
need, like the widow in 1 Timothy 5:5, creates dependency. To have so
much, as the young Haitian observed, creates self-sufficiency. When
our lives prosper, the natural tendency is to lose our grip.
Have your abundant resources kept you from depending on God?
Have you lost your grip on God's help? Focus on a special need that
only God can meet. Seek his help today. by Patrick Morley
[Inspirational SB]
In Fit to Be Wed, Bill and Lynne Hybels write: "There is a
cruel, ungodly world out there that wants to eat our kids for lunch.
Our son was offered drugs when he was ten years old and taunted by
friends to 'have sex' with a fourth grade girl. In the halls of her
suburban high school our daughter is daily bombarded with profanity and
sexual innuendoes, with immoral lifestyles and alluring temptations.
Never before have our children and yours so needed the advantage of
being led by parents with shared values and beliefs; there is power in
a unified front. But you can't fake that. Kids pick up on the
discrepancies. So, what do they do when they sense that the two primary
authority figures in their lives don't agree on the basics? What do they
believe? What do they have to go on? What can they grab on to and say,
'This must be true?' How can they determine right from wrong?
"The only way to present a united front is to marry someone
who has the same Lord - someone who cherishes the same treasure,
trusts the same blueprint, and taps the same strength. Only then can
you share the same values and establish a home where children can
get the kind of guidance they need." [God's Little Devotional
Bible]
You've experienced God's Presence. It's a beautiful thing
between you and Him. And that's the way it should be - at times. But
God's Presence, as personal as it is, isn't entirely private. He fills
you with Himself not only to fellowship with you. You can actually
be the Presence in the world.
Where do you do that? You house His Presence in every area of
society, first and foremost in your family. As a member of a Kingdom of
priests, you represent your family to God and minister His gifts and
graces to each of its members. You help shape the environment of your
home through your attitude, your actions, and your spiritual
connection with Him. (You've likely noticed how contagious your moods and
outlook can be.) Your worship affects the atmosphere anywhere,
especially where you live and among those closest to you.
Many people find family members to be the most difficult
people to live the gospel around. That's because they know all of our
issues, and that can cause us to feel that we've lost all credibility
with them. But being both transparent and humble has a powerful
effect on others, especially those close to us. And when our
transparency allows them to see the Presence of God, even through all our
flaws, lives can change. Even without words, we can impact the
environment of a home.
Whatever your family situation - whether you live alone, with
parents or siblings, or with a spouse and children - God has put
relatives in your life that can benefit from your relationship with Him.
Be His Presence among them. Let your attitude shape the atmosphere.
Treat Him as an honored family member. Let the Kingdom come in your
home.
Lord, Your Presence brings peace to a home. Of all the places
You want Your Kingdom to grow, families are a priority. Help me
carry Your Presence around those closest to me. [The One Year
Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
Though it can be flattering, our ministries, accomplishments,
and endeavors mean little if they exalt a man or woman or a program
rather than God. Just as Joshua pointed the way to God, each of us has
the same opportunity. Ask God to help you examine your ministry or
work. Whether you're a teacher, a salesperson, a mom, a pastor, or a
computer technician, are you pointing the way to God? Will those who
follow your leadership remember your deeds - or the God who
accomplished them through you? [Praying Through The Bible By Fuller re Jos.
24:14-16]
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Grace Notes:
http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php
A Better Way to Live:
http://www.itiswritten.com/betterway/
Excellent Spiritual Resource Site:
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/
More Spiritual Resources:
http://www.aBible.com
