9/12/12. Joshua 24:14-33. CHOOSE WHOM YOU WILL SERVE-devotional

Joshua 24:14-33

Key Verse: 24:14-15

Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF   Wednesday, September 12, 2012

“’Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Dear Lord, thank you for helping me to understand many of the struggles I have been having in my heart. Thank you for bring clarity and hope and resolution. I pray that I may have peace in you and continue to taste the full life that Jesus brings and advertise the grace and truth of the gospel to the whole world. Please help my family to mature and grow in our faith and find ways to live you together. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: A Decision to Serve the Lord (14-28).

Verses 14-28, “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, 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 to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.” 19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.” 21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the LORD.” 22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. 23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.” 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD. 27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.” 28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.”

God does a lot for us, but there comes a time when we must make a choice. Joshua gave his own household testimony. He essentially said, “I made a choice. This is why I can stand before you without being polluted by the world.” Joshua influenced the people to make a right decision and make a conscious choice to always serve God. When a person stands with God, then their conviction is real. They have a tremendous effect. God has set before us life and death. People need to choose. Do you think your decisions will make a difference?

This is one of my favorite passages because it shows the importance of being a leader in the family and how a father can dedicate his family to serving the Lord Jesus. I spent enough years serving the idols of my land, money, pleasures, and self. And where did worshipping these idols get me? Not very far. Worshipping them brought me loneliness, meaninglessness, and emptiness and sense of self condemnation. I need to “throw out the gods of my ancestors” and decide to worship Jesus alone. When I have been worshipping Jesus he has never let me down and has been blessing my life and family. That does not mean a “struggle free life”. It means a blessed and fruitful life, heading towards glory of the Kingdom of God.

I need to dedicate my entire family to getting rid of the gods of this culture and devote themselves to serving Jesus alone. This is not so easy now that my kids are older. They are surrounded by the world. They are immersed in idols of our culture. It is not even easy to talk about Jesus and the gospel any longer among us. Sure we go to church in Sunday but we don’t talk about the things of God freely as we used to. It is not comfortable and convenient. How can I tell them to put away the idols of this age? May God grant me wisdom as a Christian father.

But what does “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” My kids are getting a little older. They have their own ideas about how to live out their Christian faith. They have their own ideas about how to incorporate their beliefs into their daily lives. How can I dedicate them to server the Lord? I am finding that I have very little ability to tell anyone what to do. I have less and less ability to even tell anyone to repent of any idol worship going on in their lives. What is idol worship and what is normal growth and development in the context of our culture?

There are other Christian parents who feel helpless to dedicate their own families to God. They don’t know what to do. But there is something they can do. They are not left without options. Regardless of the atmosphere, I can dedicate my family to serve the Lord by faith. Nothing can hinder me from doing this. My dedication of something is dependant on no person other than my own faith. My part is to set the example myself and pray that the course of our lives may be charted in the right direction. I can pray and hope that we can do the will of God together as a family and influence them to towards the Lord and the mission of God. We may not all be on the same page spiritually but that does not stop me from dedicating them and dedicating the purpose of my family to Jesus Christ.

Like Joshua, when I make a stand and dedicate myself and family to the Lord then others will be inspired to do likewise. I pray that we may have such an influence, to fan into flames, faith in others’ hearts.

Part 2: Buried in The Promised Land (29-33).

Verses 29-33, “After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 30 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 31 Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel. 32 And Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants. 33 And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.”

When Joshua died, an era of God’s history was over. He was buried at Timnah, but his faith lived on. I am studying about his faith even now, thousands of years after his death. Joseph’s faith remained a witness among them through his bones, which they had carried for 400 years and now buried. Eliezer was also buried in his son’s inheritance. The faith of these three men still shines. Those who die with faith will live on in heaven, but their legacy also lives on in this world.
I can only hope and pray that my faith can leave a legacy of faith behind in this world. Most are not so fortunate. Some lives are quickly snuffed out too soon. (I think about those who have lost their lives in silent, unjust and meaningless ways and my soul cries to God for them.) But if they are people of faith, they have a legacy of faith in the Kingdom of God. If they lived by faith in Jesus then their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I thank God that the legacy of faith that Julie and I have will carry onto my kids and their kids. Dr Samuel and Grace Lee’s grand kids are walking with the Lord. The seeds of the gospel planted in the few people I have ministered to will continue to grow and bear fruit. I just need to keep my vine and branch relationship with Jesus. This does not mean that I will live a long life, write many books, plant several churches, found a university and a hospital. Some people have been taken to heaven early on their lives. In fact some Christians have accomplished more for the Kingdom through their deaths than through their lives. It means that I am in God’s hands. My legacy in this world and in heaven is in God’s hands. My concern is living in an intimate vine and branch relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for leading me to this hour of decision. I now dedicate myself and my whole family to serve you.

One Word: Have faith that will change the world