SCRIPTURE: Joshua 24
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, 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 24:15]
Joshua is calling for a decision.
The kind of decision he is calling for is more like the decision to get married than to live together.
Couples who choose to live together always have the back door ready just in case, a way out.
But the Lord wants to be in a lifelong, covenantal relationship with us, not just a fair-weather relationship of convenience.
‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. [Matthew 4:19-20]
The call of Jesus is not to salvation, but to a new way of life, to follow Him.
The choice is huge, with life-changing consequences.
Leaving their nets?
What about their jobs, their families, their boats and nets, their obligations, etc?
We tend to relate to the Lord more like a couple living together, than like a couple committed for life through the covenant of marriage.
We turn to Him when we need something, but we take Him for granted the rest of the time.
We want both the gods of the land, as well as the true God.
We want to love both money and God.
Jesus says we can’t, but we still try.
Both Joshua and Jesus are calling for a decision.
Both Joshua and Jesus modeled their decision.
They demonstrated by their actions that they would serve God, no matter what.
Will I?
PRAYER:
Lord, help me to hear this call for a decision. Help me to choose today, and tomorrow, and forever, to follow You.
Joshua, one of my Bible heroes.
Why?
The words of Joshua, as for me and my household, we will serve the living God! His choice was lived by him. That could be seen by the people then and read by the people today. A righteous man. A man of God’s choosing. A man living for Jesus.
And so we read once again about God’s faithfulness to His people by describing what He did. And that needs a response – a faithful response of His people. Serve Him because He is God!
On this Lord’s day I too need to serve Him. And tomorrow I need to bring all things into His presence and serve Him. I too have chosen to serve each day and may the actions I do each day exemplify my choice.
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.