Weekly Devotion - Choose this Day

Choose this Day

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.Josh 24:15 (Emphasis Mine)

For over a year now I have seen a bus in Port Vila driving around with the saying on the back window - “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This comes from Joshua’s valedictory address just prior to his death. The declaration of Joshua is a wonderful one and is one of my favourites. Joshua was the attendant of Moses and was actually present on Mount Sinai one time, when God was giving Moses the Law. (Ex 24:13).

For people living in the Western World, a house is a building. My house is made of bricks, cement and ‘kapa.’ However in biblical custom the word house means family plus workers. There is a chief in Vila that is a good friend of mine. One day he was talking about his family. He pointed to a cluster of huts and said that his house lives in this area. It struck me that this man-Tanna had a similar understanding of house to man-Israel in the bible.

If we jump to the New Testament we read the story of the Jailor (Acts 16:23-36). In this story we see that the entire household of the Jailor came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The entire household of the Roman Centurian, Cornelius were also believers. What makes up a house is not only the family but also the workers in that family.

Joshua was a soldier, and a righteous one at that. He was declaring that He, his family and those who worked for him would serve the Lord God. That would also refer to his company of soldiers who worked under him. We are not just talking about a small number of people here.

However, we can tell from the rest of this verse, and by reading the chapter that Joshua was putting down a challenge to the Israelites. Notice that the verse begins with, “If it seems evil unto you to serve the LORD.” The Israelites had a problem with letting go of the god worship from land where Abram was born and raised (Chaldea/Babylonia) and Amorites (Negeb Region and hill country of Canaan). We look back on the Israelites and cannot understand how they could be so stupid as to follow other gods, especially after being witness to such mighty works of Jehovah God, and yet today we see people who know God but still do the same – they do not let go of the gods in the land where they live.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that no one can serve two masters. (Matt 6:24) If you love one, you automatically hate the other. If you are devoted to one, you automatically despise the other. He added that you cannot serve God and money. For many, money becomes the god they worship. If you chase money or more generally speaking – wealth. You cannot then serve God.

John puts it another way in his first letter. Here he equates a person who cannot both live in the light (under God) and still be found in the darkness. (the world). It is impossible to do both.

1John 1:6-7 (NET)

If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth.But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

In the second chapter of First John, he gives us a practical although hard hitting message about what is expected. It is a practical working out of the greatest commandment and the one that is close to the greatest. (Matt 22:36-40) take time this week to read this carefully and meditate on the words.

Do you have any gods that are preventing you from truly loving God? It may be an actual idol god that you bow down to, or a prophet that you rate just as important or maybe bigger that God. The god may be more like money, your job, your position, your children. God may desire to gift you in abundance on those things, but if it comes at the expense of Him, He will take it away as quickly as he can give. Consider this; In Joshua’s valediction, he covers how GOD brought Abraham out of Ur, GOD blessed Abraham and Isaac, GOD struck Egypt down, GOD brought them out of Egypt, GOD destroyed the Egyptian army, GOD handed over the promised land, GOD rescued them from Balaam, GOD gave them victory. He then told them NOW OBEY THE LORD AND WORSHIP HIM WITH INTEGRITY AND LOYALTY. Israel is nothing without God and likewise, you are nothing without God.

God gave us his Son, so that whoever believes in Him will be given eternal life (Jn 3:16). God gave the Israelites much, for free! Likewise, he gives you much for free! He gives eternal life for free, he can deliver you from our enemies, He gives you His Holy Spirit for free. NOW OBEY THE LORD AND WORSHIP HIM WITH INTEGRITY, LOYALTY AND TRUTH.

We are living in a time when Christ’s return is imminent. Before the end, there will come a great testing. Those people who are half hearted Christians will falter. Those people who try to serve two masters or fail to let go of their false gods will stumble. It takes a lot to commit to the declaration. I ask you this week to prayerfully consider where you stand with God.

Joshua gave the Israelites the challenge and it is the same challenge I give you. To commit to God is an eternal commitment but also incredibly rewarding, and one that God takes very seriously. He is delighted in the person that makes such a commitment to serve Him but by the same token, understand who you are committing yourself to. God is a God of grace. He has given mankind nearly 2000 years to make that commitment. Some have accepted that generous free offer to become Children of God and follow the Lord Jesus Christ, but some reject the offer. However remember:

​​​​​​​Make vows to the LORD your God and repay them! ​​​​​​Let all those who surround him bring tribute to the awesome one! Ps 76:11

“Choose this day who you will serve” but “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”