A recent article brought the fact that adults make 35,000 choices per day. Each choice bears a consequence, good or bad, which not only impacts us but can also affect those around us.
For instance, the alarm goes off and I hit the snooze button to get a few minutes more of desire sleep. In so doing, the others who depend on me to get them up and going, may also sleep in and then run late to get out the door.
Not every choice is as trivial as that one which is why some require careful consideration.
Joshua came before the people and gave them a choice, a decision to make. He was tired of them waffling back and forth between God and idols. One might say they were straddling the fence, keeping one foot on either side, wanting what they perceived as the best of both worlds.
The choice he put before them was: “Choose today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). They could serve the Lord or they could serve a foreign god, but they could no longer serve both. Their choice would impact their lives as well as every generation to come.
Before making their choice, Joshua explained to the people - clearly and concisely - what would be required of them (in Joshua 24:14):
- “Fear the Lord.”
- “Serve Him wholeheartedly.”
- “Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped.”
- “Serve the Lord alone.”
Only as our hearts are all in, fully committed to God, will He live His life through ours. It is then we are able to forge a path and leave a legacy for the generation to come.
After Joshua gave the people the choice, their response came:
“The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.” (Joshua 24:24, NLT)
May we choose to be “all in!”
Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash
Excellent point, Joanne. Your post reminds me about the verse in Revelations about "lukewarm Christians" :I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
ReplyDeleteLaurie, that verse has been coming to mind often these days. I agree, we are needing to be one or the other and hopefully, we choose to be hot.
DeleteLove this, Joanne. We truly need to be "all in," not half-hearted and not leaning on other insufficient helps.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, so true. There are so many insufficient helps around us. May we choose the one only Help that is sufficient for all things and times.
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