So, What’s Your Choice?
Have you ever received the one thing you wanted? You had struggled to achieve something that was a “dream” to you and suddenly it became a reality.
This is where the Israelite people were. After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, they had driven out the vast majority of the nations in the land of Canaan and were now ready to settle into the land that God had promised them for generations.
It was at this point that Joshua, the one leading the Israelite people, made his most famous speech. Here, in Joshua 24:15, he told the people that they could return to following the gods of their forefathers, but “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
The Choice Seemed Obvious
This seems like an odd statement to make. The Israelite people had seen God steer them toward the Promised Land, delivering on the promise that He had made hundreds of years earlier. The land He had promised to their forefathers was now in the palms of their hands. They had everything they wanted, so why would they turn to another god?
It seems clear that Joshua really understood their hearts. While they had seen the amazing deliverance and provision of God, the leader also understood that they may not have been as committed to God as one would expect.
It is surprising. They had seen God give them victory after victory in their quest to conquer the land of Canaan. For generations, they had been fed by God in the wilderness and had seen the presence of God guide them every step of the way. They had no confusion of who God was and how He could always provide for them.
Yet, at this most momentous occasion, an occasion where they should have been firmly committed to God, Joshua told them that they had a choice. They could follow God or they could turn to their evil ways.
We All Have to Ask Ourselves This Question
We have all tasted the goodness of God. God has provided for each one of us and has insured that we have overcome a multitude of struggles. No matter what you may have encountered in your life, God has kept you moving forward every step of the way. As our Enterprise Manager, Cory Clubb, pointed out to me one time – God has given you victory over every obstacle, 100% of the time, because you are still alive. No challenge has ever defeated you.
Yet, we face the same kind of question that Joshua posed to the Israelite people. If we read all of Joshua 24:15, it reads, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
You see, our amazing God doesn’t force us to follow Him. He doesn’t even make it so that we would see Him as amazing. As Joshua said to the people, God allows us to see the idea of serving Him as “evil.” We may think it’s a bad idea to serve God, despite the fact that He has done so much good for us.
1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love because He first loved us.” The truth is that He still loves us even when we don’t love Him. Even when we forget the provision, the amazing ways that God has helped us overcome our challenges, God still loves us.
The Purpose for the Evil Around Us
One of the interesting things I have always thought about this verse is that the Israelites had just conquered the vast majority of the “evil” people of Canaan. They had to feel strong, powerful, and physically secure. They really had nothing to fear and no reason to turn away, but Joshua clearly understood that many would.
What this tells us is that there were still options available. Joshua didn’t make this statement knowing that the only choice was God. If God was the only option, then choosing Him would not really be much of a choice. It would be the only thing that one could do. That would not really demonstrate our love for God at all.
Instead, our love occurs when we have options and we choose God. This is how we truly demonstrate that we trust, love, and obey Him.
When Joshua made the statement, the Israelites responded, “16 Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, 17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed (Joshua 24:16-17).
We live in a society, today, with lots of options. There is a plethora of wicked choices available to us, and it would be very easy to turn those ways. The question to ask yourself is, “Who will I serve?” Will you respond in the same way that the Israelite people did? Will you say such things as, “Far be it for me to forsake my God.” More importantly, if you say it, will you mean it?
It’s a choice. So, who will you serve?
Hope Good News
Our three newest participants arrived and got underway this past week. Kevin Wiley, Evan Dearborn, and Braedon Bonnell all began the Life Transformation program this week… Tristian Lane attained an amazing milestone on September 1, reaching one year of sobriety. What an amazing miracle it is to see that our brother decided who he would serve… Dr. Robert Pannier will be at Antioch Church this weekend. Stop by to see him.
Get Those Projects Done Now!
With summer winding down, it is a great time to get some work done on your home and car. For those needing a great cleaning of your vehicle, please contact Divine Shine (319) 929-3084. We not only can make your car, SUV, truck or other vehicle shine like brand new, but we are also offering RV and boat detailing. Divine Shine is ready to get your boat or RV ready for winter.
Still need a home remodel or renovation project done or are you looking for a concrete project to be completed. Call Cory Clubb (319) 929-6062 to get a free estimate on your project. Don’t put it off. Call today and we are offering a 15% on labor costs if you book by September 15.
Prayers for the Week
We ask you to join in prayer for these things:
- For Braedon, Kevin, and Evan as they now underway in the program. Let us pray that God continues to guide them on a pathway toward Him.
- Tim Ehlers appeared in court on Friday. No word on what was determined, but we pray that the judge will grant him the ability to return to the Hope CDA program.
- We ask you to continue to pray for the success of the upcoming Gala.
Tuesday Night Encouragement at Hope CDA
Just a reminder that the men are participating in the Alpha Course at Mission of Hope and will be there through the end of October. There will be no Night of Encouragement at the Hope Center until the first Tuesday of November.
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