Choices

Choose this day…Joshua 24:15

Life is a series of choices. Given this knowledge, Joshua stands before the people to make this bold statement: And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… 

Choose this day; every day. The choice to serve or not serve God is repeated. The choice to serve God must be from the heart, from a willing mind, from your free will to choose. 

The choice is only between two choices: serve God or serve gods. If it seems wrong to serve God, then the only other choice is to serve false gods. Joshua is talking to his people. People who have long last entered the land of promise. People who are now far away from Egypt and their false gods. However, they are entering a land where people worship other false gods. 

Joshua therefore makes this claim: But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD, Joshua 24:15. The people answered: God forbid that we forsake the LORD, to serve other gods, Verse 16. Their answer betrayed their belief system. Joshua was calling upon them to make a free will choice to serve God. They wanted God to keep them from worshipping other Gods. This is not how God works. God does not force anyone to love and obey Him. 

You are now far away from where you were. You were dead in your sins. You are now alive in Christ. That was a choice you made by faith. So, today you choose to serve God who gave you life.