Originally posted: 09/09/2019

“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” (24:14-15).

I tend to read this passage with the emphasis on myself, my decision, my choice. But as I grappled with finding Him, seeing how He reveals Himself in this final chapter in Joshua, it suddenly hit me. He didn’t have to grant us a choice at all; He is God and He could simply demand our allegiance and be done with it all; put an end to man’s rebellious ways.

But He does not desire slaves. He invites us, with His Generous Offer, to a relationship; and relationships are not coerced.

Consider His Generous Offer

• His Generous Offer is an invitation to serve Him, the LORD God of all the universe.
  • “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth;…” (24:14).
    

• His Generous Offer is a bidding away from the empty and futile competing gods.
  • “…and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord,” (24:14).
    

• His Generous Offer requires a response…today.
  • “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…” (24:15).
    

How do we respond to His Generous Offer?

Before the Israelites were asked to choose, the LORD reminded them of their past and His unfailing faithfulness in all His dealings with them. (24:1-13).

Let us begin each day in the Word, recalling His faithfulness to us.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits; (Psalm 103:1-2).

He kindly extends His Generous Offer; choose a relationship with the King of the Universe through repentance. Let us never take lightly His Generous Offer.

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4).

When we receive His gift of grace by faith, His gift of salvation, we are set free from the sin that once held us in bondage. May we not be lured and mastered by the empty and futile ways of the past. Let us walk in His grace as we daily choose repentance, to turn away from serving our flesh that we may turn and serve Him with all that we are.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, ¹³ and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace, (Romans 6:12-14).

Let us daily remember His Generous Offer, that our hearts would be softened and prepared to hear His voice.

“Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me,” (Hebrews 3:15).

May we be like Joshua and take a bold stand, no matter what anyone else chooses.

“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (24:14-15).

Challenge… memorize Joshua 24:14-15 and start each day boldly proclaiming, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Let’s Grow Together!