Joshua 24: 1-2a, 14-18
1 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 14 "Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region 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." 16 Then the people answered, "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 ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18 and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God."
Reflection
It was a scene from the Andy Griffith show in which a lady caught speeding was able to turn the town against Andy and get out of her ticket in Mayor's Court. The people of the town that were witnesses to the speeding were persuaded by nice talk and small gifts to favor the speeding lady and they were unable to tell the whole truth while being interviewed by the Mayor on the witness stand. They had a choice to make. They could be nice to the lady or tell it like it was. If they were nice, it seemed as if no one would be harmed and the lady would be set free. If they told it like it was, the speeding lady would be fined and released.
We face these situations where we need to either take a stand or "go with the flow." It's not as easy as it seems, depending upon the situation. In the passage above, however, we must take a stand. If we truly believe in God as the God of life and salvation, we will take a stand. God has given us plenty of reason to stand with him. Reasons available to be witnessed in Scripture and the lives of ourselves and others.
I was reminded of this upon reading a post on Facebook from the group "Luther" where they quoted some of Luther's words. "I had rather be in hell with Christ, than be in heaven without him." Luther had chosen Christ no matter what. This is the choice that Joshua posed to the people years ago. Choose God or follow false gods. This is the choice we have had throughout time. What's your choice? I choose to serve and follow the Lord. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, daily we battle illness, death, sorrow, disappointment and so many other negatives of life. Daily we also are blessed with life, love, happiness, joy and so many other positives of life. Yet we find you always there within and around us to lead and guide us through all types of situations. As we give our lives to you in service and love, hear our praises and see our choice to choose you and you alone, no matter the situation. For it is you we love... today... tomorrow... and always. --- Amen
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