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1 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. 2 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. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. 14 "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. 15 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." 16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17 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; 18 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." 19 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. 20 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." 21 And the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve the Lord!" 22 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." 23 He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel." 24 The people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey." 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. (Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 NRSV)
Happy Wednesday, ConCafe Family, and to you faithful reader, and dear Friend! I pray this finds you well; and above all, calm. We may or may not know the results of last night's election, but we pray for a united nation, as we pledge, "under God," for the wellbeing of all who live within our bounds. Pray for both candidates and their families, and supporters. Pray for one another, and pray for yourselves.
Today's passage contains a passage that you've seen in stores like Cracker Barrel, or touristy places like in Fredericksburg, or Round Top, and it is from verse 15: "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." And it's an awesome declaration. More so as we have read how it fits into the context of this situation. Joshua, the heir of Moses' leadership, has led God's people into the promised land. He gathered the twelve tribes of Israel, along with the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And in a religious worship experience within a very political setting, before God, Joshua calls the people to account for all they have experienced; an overview of their history, and the role God played in each step of their deliverance and development. In his address, Joshua instructs the people to "revere the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness;" and to do away with the false gods they had encountered along the way and who are now neighbors to them. "We cannot forget Who God is, has been, and always will be, for us," to paraphrase Joshua's speech. And, like a good leader, he gives those who might oppose God's worship, "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; " then his classic declaration, "but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." His speech set up the unanimous response from the people, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods." And then they list the things that God had done for them on this journey. Then Joshua reminds them of the basics; "God is holy. God is jealous. God will not forgive those transgressions against Him (like worshiping other gods). Harm and destruction will come to those who blatantly disobey God. And there and then, they people ratified their allegiance to God at the city that would serve as their capital in their early history.
What "signs" does your home have that "give you away?" What about what you own, how you act, how you receive or not, your neighbors and those who are not from your neighborhood, say about who you are? Because you know, we can have as many signs, flags, bumper stickers, and what-nots we have that may boast that we are believers, but our actions may give away our hearts. Don't be like the old joke of the car being driven like it was stolen, honking impatiently at others, the sharing of the Hollywood "howdy" flashed from the driver's side of the car; and other things, and all while the stickers on the car said things like "Follow Me to Sunday School," "I Love Jesus," etc. The police officer pulls the car over and discovers a gentleman who asks sweetly what's the matter, why was I pulled over? The police said given the stickers and the actions, he believed the car to have been stolen. May it not be said of us!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, our prayer is simple; change what is inside of me that needs to change, so that my actions reveal that I truly belong to You. Guide us gently on, ever onward and upward; in Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Live a life that says very loudly, I serve the Lord!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
Newest episode of YourBestDayEver on Handling Discouragement: https://open.spotify.com/episode/66v5ycI7WXbNxhiTq3pxjz
