Scripture:
Joshua 24:14-18 NKJV
[14] “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! [15] 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.” [16] So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; [17] for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. [18] And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”
Observation:
Joshua had just brought the Israelites across the Jordan River much like Moses brought them across the Red Sea. GOD parted the water, and they walked across on dry ground. So it was time to remind and encourage them that they had made the right choice. Taking his position as the leader of these people, he steps to the front led by his desire to make sure the people saw that they had been delivered from a past of bondage to false gods. He hoped that by making the choice, he had made known that others would follow. I believe that’s the part of a spiritual leader. Take a hard stand and stick to it. Others will follow. As he begins to speak, he makes sure that the Israelites are not being forced to do anything and are free to make their own choices. However, he also makes it clear that moving forward, they would have to leave some things behind. Here is the choice that was presented… serve the LORD with sincerity or serve the false gods of their fathers. You know…. the ones that led them to bondage and slavery. Really, the question is more of a statement… Joshua is saying make up your mind. You have seen the deliverance of the LORD and the bondage of these false gods. Now, who are you going to serve? Laying out his choice in front of them. He makes one of my favorite statements in the bible. As for me and my house, I will serve the LORD. Now, looking at the response from the Israelites, you would throw your fist in the air and shout yes. Knowing that they committed to follow GOD. Seeing all the great things HE had done to get them to the point that they were at. In fact, they even recapped some of the miracles that had taken place to get them from captivity to the opposite side of the Jordan standing face to face with a land flowing with milk and honey. But if we read on in the scripture, we see that their resounding yes could have been stated a… well, maybe… as long as it doesn’t interfere with what I want.
Application:
Laying down our past is not as easy as it may seem. There is truly a hard line that has to be drawn, and it can be tested from time to time. Ultimately, the decisions are always ours. We get the choice. That’s not to say that the choice will always be easy either. Sometimes, it’s going to be the hardest choice to make. On the heels of deliverance fresh after the LORD has removed the bondage of sin that held us captive so long and feeling the freedom from that, it’s easy to say yes. The further away from what that captivity felt like the easier it is to start heading back and not even realize it. That’s why it’s so important to make a hard stand now. Personally, I want no part of my past life back, so I have put down the things that used to bind me in the illusion that sin felt good. Listen, sin hurts. Although you might not realize it at first but it has a price tag that you can’t see at first. Because it appeals to the flesh. Until it sets its hooks, making a hard stand to serve the LORD means lying down those things that appeal to your flesh and staying in step with the Holy Spirit. Isn’t it awesome that GOD HIMSELF will lead us to the right choice with the Holy Spirit in which HE provides at the moment of salvation? It will take some time and training to tune your ear to hear HIS still small voice but trust me, it can be done. The challenge is this fill your life with GOD’S word and like-minded people who are doing their best to serve HIM. Place some men or women around you who are serving HIM with sincerity and use them as wise counsel. If you are a man, place men around you if you are a woman. Build a group of godly women. The point is this, choose to serve the LORD no matter what and set yourself up for success in that by placing the right people around you to help hold you accountable seeking wise counsel, and reading GOD’S living word. HE will speak to you if you train your ear to hear HIM. HE wants you to succeed and has given you a road map to do so. Suppose you take the time to read the bible. HE will speak to you about it. Put down the false gods of addiction, depression, anxiety, degradation, poverty, oppression, and so many others that could be mentioned, and put on this new life that was given to you by a GOD who loves you enough to die in your place.
Prayer:
Father, as for me and my house, we want to serve you. We do not want anything that is not of you. Fill us with discernment and wisdom so that every choice we make brings you honor and glory. Please help us to build a circle of accountability that will allow us to stay on the right path. It’s so easy to think we have this thing figured out. But honestly, we need your help. We need your guidance. We can not serve you without being filled with your Holy Spirit. So that is what we are asking you. Fill our cup to overflowing. We want your presence in our lives to be so evident that there is no mistake that it’s you that we serve. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen