This is a reprint from 2014. I thought it would be worth repeating.
“Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve the Lord. 15. Choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Moses was dead and Joshua had become the leader of the Israelite people in their journey into Canaan. Joshua was certainly not naïve about the people that God had chosen him to lead, for he knew what they had done for the past forty years. He knew of their weaknesses, and of their penchant for worshiping false gods. He had been on Mt. Sinai with Moses when the Israelites had worshiped the golden calf. Knowing all that these people were capable of, he issued them a challenge. Joshua encouraged the people to make wise choices instead of convenient choices. We are still faced with a lot of choices for our lives. The question is whether or not we will choose to go the easiest and convenient way, or to make the hard choices that will be better for us and will make our lives better. I remember the incident in the New Testament when the “Rich Young Ruler” came to Jesus and asked Him about how to achieve eternal life. Jesus told him to give up his riches and give them to the poor and follow Him. Jesus wasn’t making this demand for all rich people, just this one. You see, to give up what had given the young man false security and to reach out in faith and follow Jesus would be the wisest choice. The Bible tells us that he went away sorrowfully. He chose the most convenient way. We never know how the choices we make will affect our lives, but we need to pray and think long and hard before we make choices that will either affect our lives adversely or for the better. Joshua wisely urged his people to make wise choices. The fact that many of them didn’t make wise choices is not a reflection on Joshua but on them. As the leader of God’s people, Joshua was setting a good example for them. Joshua knew that the decisions he made would not just reflect on his leadership but on his commitment to God. As long as Joshua was alive, he kept the promise that he made that he and his “house will serve the Lord.” The book of Judges, which follows the book of Joshua, reveals that after Joshua’s death the people did not do well. (Which is a mild way of expressing how they acted?) What they did was not Joshua’s fault. He continued to serve as a good example to the Israelite people until his death. We need to ask ourselves what kind of example we are setting for those who will follow us in our homes, at our workplaces, in our churches, etc. Choices that we make can help us live better lives and maybe help others make wise choices. There were people in the book of Judges who followed Joshua’s example, and were better for it. Just because days are evil, does not mean that we have to join in with the evil. Joshua’s declaration here is a declaration of determination to do the right thing. Joshua was a human being with all of the problems that go with being human. He knew that he could make choices that would lead the people astray, so he determined that the choices he made would lead them in the right direction. We need to determine that our choices will give us a better life and will serve as a good example to those who are watching our lives. Let’s be careful, and prayerful, that we will make the right choices. Bro. Joe
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