“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond 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.”
“Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’
“But Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.’ And the people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the Lord.’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses.’ He said, ‘Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.’ And the people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.'” Joshua 24:14-24
Joshua was an exemplary leader both tactically and spiritually, and always the two were intertwined. There was no decision or conquest he made or achieved apart from his relationship with his Commander. The Lord God had indeed been with him wherever he went, granting wisdom, strategy, skill, and tenacity, and brought great victory and conquest. So before he died, Joshua’s legacy would be to remind God’s people of His holiness and grace, and to challenge them to choose and commit. (Joshua 1:7-9)
Being confronted with who God is and tracing His hand through our lives is not an isolated occurrence in a vacuum. Encountering Christ forces an inflection point for life going forward. We have a decision: Who is He to me, and how will I respond with my will?
Who is my king? Any determination to follow the Lord must be made with the realization that we are unable to keep it apart from Christ’s grace. Are we zealous but not careful? Quick to sign on, but not to sign in to His word? What idols need we surrender so He is Lord alone? (Hebrews 4:16)
Faithful Lord, incline my heart to You always, my thoughts to Your mind, my inclinations to Your word, my ways to Your paths, so I serve You alone and for Your name’s sake and glory.
As the rain and snow 