Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15

Joshua had gathered all the tribes of Israel as well as the elders, heads, judges, and officers of Israel to Shechem where they presented themselves before God (Joshua 24:1). There Joshua relayed a message from God: a recap of their history from the time of the idol-worshipping.  He reminded them of God’s faithfulness to them. God gave them land on which they had not laboured and cities that they had not built. They ate fruits of vineyards and olive orchards that they did not plant. In other words, Joshua reminded them that God took them from nothing and made them into something. 

Joshua made them know that in return for God’s goodness towards them, God also had expectations. God told those expectations to Joshua and Joshua made them known to the people: “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” (v.14). This was not a new requirement.  It was clearly set out in the Ten Commandments given earlier as recorded in Exodus 20: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (v. 2-3).

Joshua made it clear that no one was being forced to enter into a covenant relationship with God. Everyone had a choice, and everyone had to choose.  Given the choices, choosing to not enter into a covenant relationship with God automatically meant a decision to serve the gods of Terah or of the Amorites.  Joshua, however, was resolute on which side he stood: “… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”.

Just like the Israelites, we too must know that God has expectations of us. We too must know that we aren’t being forced into a covenant relationship with God. We must also know that there are consequences for every decision made. Choosing to not enter into a covenant relationship with God is choosing to serve the gods of this world or the devil himself. Sounds harsh? Yes, but you must know that it’s either God or the enemy; there’s no middle ground.

Today we are faced with the same choices. Pause for a second and think about how good and faithful God has been. He bestowed His faithfulness on us even when we were unfaithful. Shouldn’t we commit ourselves to serve Him and Him alone?  It is easy to take the blessings without committing to the Blesser, to take the gifts while ignoring the Giver, to enjoy His love towards us without our loving Him in return. Know this day that you cannot have both; God did not leave that as an option. Make an intentional decision to decide between all the other things you have made gods in your life and the God of heaven. I pray that you make the decision to serve God and serve Him wholeheartedly.