Description
Life is all about choices. Whether we're facing times of trouble or enjoying periods of abundance, we can turn our backs on God, or we can choose to trust, obey, and serve Him.One of the great leaders we meet in the Old Testament is Joshua. The name "Joshua" literally means "Yahweh is Salvation." He watched in awe as the Red Sea parted; he tasted manna in the desert; and he served faithfully for 40 years as Moses' right-hand man and military commander. And this warrior-leader lived up to his name. Joshua eventually led the Israelites to victory in Canaan—and into "all the good land the Lord had promised." Yet his greatest legacy came down to a choice he made: "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15, NKJV).
What Does God Say?
It's all about choices. Whether we're facing times of trouble or abundance, we can turn our backs on God... or we can choose to trust, obey and serve Him.
The simple fact is, God doesn't want us to add a little of Himself into our daily walk. He wants to consume our lives. He's not pleased with people who dabble in faith, and then forget Him later. The Lord desires us to live for Him—faithfully, consistently, day by day.
Joshua understood this. "Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!" (Joshua 24:14, NKJV).
By the end of the book that bears his name, the Israelites stood with Joshua and chose to serve only the Lord. But flip over to Judges and the word follow once again changes to forget. We encounter snapshot after snapshot of raw, uncensored faithlessness: "Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals" (Judges 2:11, NKJV). But keep reading.
In chapter two we discover that, despite Israel's gross unfaithfulness, God is faithful. He molds and disciplines His children. He shows persistent, unwearied love and matchless grace; grace that's absolutely undeserved. "Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them" (Judges 2:16, NKJV).
In God's perfect time, He gives a new beginning to people who so easily turn their backs on Him—people like you and me.
My Thoughts
Look over these passages to learn more about following and forgetting.
- Luke 9:23-24
- 2 Kings 17:35-39
- Psalm 95
- Exactly who or what is the passion of your life?
- Is getting your career off the ground the most important thing to you? A relationship, maybe? Or could it be money or popularity?
- Are you following the living God? Or the gods of money, power, prestige?
My Part
Your conception and birth was God's idea, not yours. Likewise, your childhood came without thinking. (It required no act of the will.) But following God day by day is a choice. Consider the words of Joshua: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Write this verse out and post it somewhere as a reminder of the choice you need to make each day.
