“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell, But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15 NKJV

Choices.

Friend, sometimes having the ability to make a choice feels like a gift to me. Other times it feels like a curse. There are days where there aren’t many hard choices to make except the normal daily choices such as what clothes to wear, what to eat for lunch, or if I should buy groceries today or tomorrow. However, some choices carry a heavier weight to them. Depending on the choice we make will change the direction of the course of our lives. Sometimes for the better and other times for the worse.

We see the choice and the question Joshua presented in our key verse, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell, But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Joshua is a great example of someone who knew the importance of making wise choices and how those choices impact future generations. Joshua was the one chosen to carry the torch after Moses died and oversaw leading the people over into the Promised Land. As Joshua was nearing the final days of his life, he challenges the children of Israel with the most important choice they will ever make. Who will they serve? Who will be Lord of their life?

Friend, this question of “who we will serve” is still ringing in the ears of humanity today. It’s the most important question and choice for where we will spend eternity but also the most important choice for this side of eternity – in our daily grind of life.

Deciding who we will serve is a foundational block for living an ignited life. It’s not enough to just claim salvation for our eternity and then live however we choose on earth. It is a choice that we must make every day - a choice to surrender to Jesus a Lord of our life. And when it comes down to it, the choice is about faithfulness.

We see God’s faithfulness as a constant theme in the book of Joshua as well as throughout the entire Bible. The question is: Will God’s people respond faithfully in return? Joshua gave the people two choices then and those two choices are still relevant today.

Sweet friend, who do you choose? This challenge of choice – faithfulness and obedience, or unfaithfulness and disobedience - is continually faced in our daily routines of life. The enemy will try everything to get our eyes off God and onto the pleasures of this world. It is imperative that we declare our loyalty and allegiance to God daily. It’s the best choice we can make and it’s also the path to living an ignited Christian life!

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for being a God that gives us the freedom to choose you. You are the best for us, but you love us enough to give us the ability to make that choice. Forgive me of all the times that I have chosen someone or something instead of you. Help me to keep my eyes on you each day and to remain faithful to you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Dig Deeper:

“Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.” Joshua 24:23 NKJV