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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. ‘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.’ (Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18)
May the blessings of the Lord Jesus be with you and your household is my prayer for you, Dear Friend! This is a day many look forward to as it is the middle of the work week. Whether you do or don't, may it still be a day of blessing from God to you and you to someone else.
One can only imagine what it would be to follow a successful leader such as Steve Jobs of Apple. Many thought that once Steve died, so would Apple. The job went to Tim Cook and if you read the news from recent days, Apple became the first corporation to ever reach a value of one trillion dollars. I dare not try to write that in numeric form as I don't know how many zeros it would contain! In that role we come to Joshua, who followed Moses as the CEO of Israel, Inc. It was he who led the people of God across the Jordan River and begin the battle to win the land promised to them. It is safe to say that he succeeded. It is this scene where he could have hung a MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banner, he addresses the people with this passage. It is a memorial message that reminds them of what God has done, is doing, and will do for them; and it is a call to action again. This time the command is to choose whom they will serve. They were reminded that many in that group had false gods they inherited from their ancestors, but here, this day, they needed to choose God as the God whom they would serve. In the midst of that we find that famous house decorative plaque, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." A leader truly leading by example. With that said, the people responded that they too, would serve the Lord, repeating back the memorial of all God had done for them.
It is well for believers never to forget that which God has done in our lives, in the lives of our forebears, even our fathers and mothers; and to hold that up for our little ones as evidence of God's love and commitment to us in the here and now. To get to a desired tomorrow, we must follow the footsteps of those who followed God to this point, and with God's guidance, to seek that tomorrow in faith. Our daily choice should include choosing God as our God and to serve Him in all that we say, think, and do.
PRAYER: Loving God, may my choices today be a blessing to You and Yours. I seek to choose You in ways that blesses Your work here on the earth. May my life show others that I have chosen You and You have blessed me. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show your choice is God!
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Request: Please keep Mrs. Belle Witt in your prayers as she has entered a rehabilitation facility. Pray for one another, pray for yourself.
