STANDING ALONE!

STANDING ALONE!

Josh 24:13-15

13 And I [the Lord] have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

14 Now therefore fear the Lord , and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord .

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord , choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord .

          It is easy to go with the flow; to follow the trend; or to allow current culture to mold your thinking and acting. Israel had, in fact, traditionally followed the path of least resistance. This, of course, led to painful consequences which often accompany foolish actions. Joshua presented the people with a challenge and a choice.

          Take a good look around, he said. Isn’t it obvious that the Lord is your benefactor? All the good that you enjoy is because of Him. You did not work for it! Whether it is little or much, God has given it to you.

          Compare the options! Will you worship something that has been chipped from a rock or hacked from a chunk of wood? Will you worship a piece of pottery or the Potter? Does it actually “seem evil” to serve the Lord? The word “evil” means “to spoil by breaking to pieces.” Do you really think that worshipping God has resulted in the breaking of your stuff? Be reasonable! Think it over!

          Sometimes it becomes necessary to stand alone; to make a unilateral decision. Joshua made a firm decision for himself and for his family. You may be called upon to do the same.

Dear Lord, if the time comes when I must choose to stand alone, give me courage and wisdom to choose wisely. AMEN.