The Story - Chapter 7 - Joshua 24

The Story - Chapter 7 - Joshua 24

Joshua's Forever Message

Perhaps Joshua had grown tired of the Israelites back and forth faith. Maybe he had gotten to the point where he had to take a stand. He watched them ebb and flow with little regard for the most important thing in the word; God, who created heaven and earth and had their eternity in his hands.  Realizing he could not control what they did, he shared his heart. Joshua delivered his message about being faithful to the Lord and throwing away false gods in the most awesome way. He told them straight, in a matter of fact style, and concluded with “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

The choice was theirs, as it is ours now. Joshua had a crystal clear vision of what he planned to do, yet felt an obligation to once again remind the Israelites they had some decisions to make.  We have the same choice every day; to serve the Lord or not to serve the Lord. We can follow his will, or choose another avenue. Choice is God’s gift to humanity, intended as a means of giving us the opportunity to respond to Him in Love.

God wants us to choose Him. He won’t force us. We have the right and privilege to make the right or wrong choice. His desire is that we turn to Him and reject all the false things we have been trusting in. He wants our exclusive devotion, yet offers us free will to decide for ourselves.

When Joshua said “and my house” I wonder what he was referring to. Did he mean all who lived in his household, or did he mean himself, and his heart being a home, a tabernacle for the Lord? We may or may not have control over what transpires in our homes, but we do direct our own hearts. We came into this world by the grace of God, and we will go out in the same way. It will be between us and Him just as it was between God and Joshua at the end of chapter 24 when Joshua was buried in the Promised Land; but  there is much more to The Story..............................

Read Joshua 24 here

Listen to Joshua 24 here