We Will Serve the Lord
From Joshua 24:1-3a,14-25 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; "Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, 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 ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along 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 cannot 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, 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 hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel." The people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey." So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.
You never forget kindness shown to you, or assistance when you needed it the most. You probably have a list of those who have blessed your life in a significant way. Their help allowed you to get something or to be something. Imagine now, if you can, trying to put a list together of all that God has done for you. Mine would be a long list. I cannot, in all honestly, remember all the good God has shown me, and/or all the wonderful, special blessings that God has given me. Where I sit today is a place of blessing only because of God. This is what Joshua is trying to convey to the people of Israel at this important thing in their history. They had reached the point of blessing as promised by God, and Joshua knows our limited memory, and so he says, friends, today we have to decide Who we're going to believe in and serve. He shares his belief: God has done so much for me, I will revere the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and faithfulness. As for foolish gods and idols, out the window they go! "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Put that on a plaque and hang in your living room!)
Then the challenge from Joshua, who wanted to make sure they truly understood what they were promising. His final command in this sermon; if you will serve the Lord, give evidence by putting away the gods and idols you were drawn to during this journey; that all stops now.
Friend, you have said it with your mouth and mind, that you, too, would serve the Lord. As Joshua has said, Put that into practice. Put away that which takes God's place in your life, home, or family. Give evidence of a life truly committed to Almighty God. It is that kind of life that helps make disciples of those who have yet to believe.
PRAYER: Lord, let my life be a living sermon of that which has blessed me and might bless others. Help me to prioritize and order my life in ways that praise You. This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
