"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."

Joshua 24:15, NIV

 

This may be one of the pivotal moments of history. Israel had taken over the land of Canaan at the command of God. They had punished that nation for its hundreds of years of evil behavior - behavior which included a lifestyle of sexual immorality and the callous murder of their unwanted children. God had given Israel a set of righteous standards by which they could live and prosper - if only they would adhere to those standards. But they had to choose to do so!

 

Now Joshua, after leading the nation in this conquest of the Promised Land, was about to die. But before he did he was to leave them with one final instruction: Choose!

 

He told them that they could choose the idolatrous ways of their forefathers and Canaanites, or they could choose to follow the LORD. They could not do both, so they really had to choose one way or the other. Then Joshua does something that all great leaders throughout history have done: He leads! He leads by example when he tells them that he and his family will choose the LORD! And his example was contagious for the people then made the vital choice that they too would serve the LORD. 

 

I believe that we need such leaders today. Our current set of leaders also lead by example. They have chosen to accept sexual immorality. They have chosen to accept greed. They have even chosen to accept the wholesale slaughter of unborn children. We need to pray for these leaders. We need to pray that they will turn away from their evil ways. We need to stop the evil practice of supporting people who engage in such evil conduct. We need to stop following their evil examples.

 

We need to return to the standard of choosing righteous leaders! If we don't, we just might wake up one day to find that God has rejected us and our nation. If you do not like that prospect, then choose!

 

Choose to follow God!

 

"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. 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.'

But the people said to Joshua, 'No! We will serve the LORD!'

Then Joshua said, 'You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.'

'Yes, we are witnesses', they replied.

'Now then', said Joshua, 'throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.'"

Joshua 24:19-23, NIV 

 

This is day 3 of the thirty day challenge to read through the books of the Champions and the Kings. The reading for today is Joshua 17-24. May God bless you richly as you seek His ways and choose to follow them!