Choose This Day

"Choose this day…" Joshua, the leader of God's people, was addressing his countrymen. They had conquered the land that God had promised to give them and were ready to settle in their new homes. Now Joshua calls on them to make a choice.

"Choose this day whom you will serve…" This was about loyalty. This was about allegiance. Joshua spoke to them about getting rid of the idols that their parents had served and dedicating themselves to the Lord. If that seemed unacceptable, they needed to choose who they would serve: the old idols or possibly the new idols they had found in the land where they were living.

"Choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15). Joshua had already made his choice. He and his family would serve God.

To a man, Joshua's people cried out that they wanted to do the same, that they wanted to serve God. Surely that made Joshua happy, right? He had given such a persuasive talk that everyone wanted to join Joshua and his family in serving God. But Joshua wasn't satisfied:

But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good" (Joshua 24:19-20).

You can't do it, he tells them. God won't put up with your indecisive ways. God won't agree to be one god in your stable of gods, one more deity in the pantheon. God is holy. God is jealous. He won't tolerate unfaithfulness. If you decide to serve God, you have to serve God alone.

And the people replied, "No, but we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:21).

So I offer to you the same choice today. Choose who you will serve. Will it be money? Will it be passion? Will it be power? Will it be a company or a country or a political viewpoint? Will it be your spouse or your children? Will it be a habit or a vice? Will it be any of the myriad distractions that our society offers?

Or will you put God above everything else? Will you love him above all, loving your neighbor as yourself, but pledging your allegiance fully to God?

"Choose this day whom you will serve." If you choose to serve God, serve him with all your heart.

We’ll be discussing this idea of serving God on our blog. Why don’t you join us there on the www.hopeforlife.org website?