THE STORY OF JESUS: Joshua 23-24
“If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15)
Joshua wants a firm decision, not a fair weather decision.
He is challenging them not to just accept the land from God, but to accept the life for God.
Sometimes I wonder whether we as Christians want to accept life from God, but not life for God.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
Both Joshua and Jesus are asking for a huge commitment, a life commitment.
This is not like ‘living together’, staying together while it works, with a back door ready just in case.
Yes or no, am I in or am I out… make a decision.
Like Israel in Canaan, we will be tempted to compromise, to love God AND other things.
But as in marriage, so in life with God; unfaithfulness will end in disappointment and disaster.
I made a decision years ago to be a Jesus-follower.
I admit that this challenge has been challenged and compromised on many occasions.
Its not that serving the Lord is undesirable to me, but other desires also sneak in too.
We need to renew our decision to follow Jesus everyday, or it will weaken.
Jesus wants to give me life to the full – life from God and life for God – will I choose it today?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, today again I choose to follow You! The world behind me, the cross before me. Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back. May this be my choice every day!