14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”
Joshua 24:14-18 (NIV)
Our lives are filled with choices for us to make. Some of these choices are fairly mundane such as what clothes to wear each day, what we are going to eat for breakfast, or what movie we are going to see at the theater. Other choices can have a significant and lasting impact upon our lives like what we are going to do after high school, who we are going to marry, or what job opportunity we are going to accept. Millions of choices are presented to us each day. Which option we choose can alter our experiences, our perspectives, and/or very lives.
Throughout the Bible we encounter stories of people having to make choices. The story today involves the Israelites and Joshua. Joshua is talking with the Israelites about the covenant which they have with God. He recalls for them how the Lord has brought them to where they are now. He recounts God’s saving actions and the leaders God has sent to them. Then Joshua tells them that they have a choice to make as they live in the new land which the Lord has provided. The people must choose if they care going to serve God or some form of another god. The people commit to serving God.
In truth, Joshua’s question is placed before us each and every day. When we start our day, and potentially many times throughout the day, we are called upon to choose who we are going to serve. This fundamental decision will impact each choice we make after it. If we choose to serve the Lord, the one who loves and redeems us by grace, then our words, actions, and interactions with others will come out of an attitude of love and grace. When this is not our guiding force, we know that we have chosen to serve another.
Hear again Joshua’s words: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” How do you respond?
A Faith Understanding 