Joshua 24:15, "but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
As with many memorable verses, this one is placed in a chapter filled with truth - both encouraging and challenging ... some easy to read and others difficult to hear.
This chapter includes some of Joshua's last words to the Israelite people. After taking the reins of leadership from Moses, Joshua led God's chosen people into the Promised Land. He's reminding them of God's goodness and protection. He's telling them God provided a place of refuge they did not work for. But there is a requirement:
"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served 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."
If I could put Joshua's challenge into my own words it would be this:
Stop riding the fence. Choose one side or the other. But CHOOSE!
We serve a God who does not want lukewarm devotion. Yes, He loves us and accepts us just where we are in our faith. But He's longing for us to be moving towards Him with bold strokes - not treading water. In other words, with all faithfulness as Joshua said.
The words of Joshua have a challenge for me this year. To examine every area of my life and determine if I am truly and wholy submitted to God in that area. Am I still serving someone besides God in any area? Either myself or someone else? Or am I serving Him in "all faithfulness"?
There have been some areas I know I have not fully submitted to God, and the fruit in those areas is lacking. Here are some of those areas (I know there are more that God will reveal) that need examining in my life:
- My time
- My attitude about certain things
- My parenting of an adult child
- My commitments
- My ministry focus
- My writing
Instead of moving ahead into God's promises, the Israelites were holding on to beliefs of the past. Joshua gave them a challenge that applies to me as well: Choose to submit all areas of my life to God.
If God is calling you to examine an area of your life and make a choice, I invite you to share that here. Do it anonymously if you like. But this could be your day to choose.
In His Love,
Glynnis
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3 comments:
God has been calling me to submit my time, my writing, and my eating habits. I also have a degree of social anxiety that keeps me from stepping out and embracing fellowship like I should and I know that interferes with some desires I have, such as inviting neighbors into my home or leading a bible study for women. So I would say fear is also something God is calling me to submit to him.
Hhhhmmmm...
This is a great post, that is very challenging. The Lord has been calling me to do ALOT of submitting these days. I have been for the last couple months submitting my anxiety and stress to Him. I have been submitting my children to Him. I have been submitting my husband to Him (for the last 4 1/2 yrs.).
My personal prayer has been "Lord do what you will in order for our family to truely reflect your heart. For our family to rely on you FULLY without reservation."
Let me say, HE has been faithful. We have gotten to a point of total and utter reliance on the Lord for ALL things. I am so grateful and thankful.
Just yesterday, my husband was laid off... so now we are looking at unemployment, and I am a stay at home mom... who does hair from home to cover grocery bills.
I don't know how we are going to litterally survive, but I know the God who created the universe, who hung the stars, you breathed His very own life into man... so I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will be provided for because we are HIS children.
It is going to be a hard road... but one that I am willing to take on because I know it is only going to strengthen me in the long run... and my husbands faith as well.
I am praying that through these recent circumstances of losing his job and finding out his father has prostate cancer, my husband will place full faith into the Lord and surrender it all.
Thanks for sharing your heart. You are a blessed woman, with a gift to write from the Lord Himself.
Oh how close your post hit to what God has also been talking to me about for, how long now? My time and my writing are at the top of the list. I can, and do, too often use the excuse of "I'm too busy" for not writing consistently and not pursuing publication. The truth is that is just a cover up for the fact that I have not submitted my time to Him, choosing instead to fill it with unnecessary things. 2010 must be different. I hear Him clearly.
Don't you just love it when God confirms those stirrings in our hearts through a Christian sister's writing?
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