JOSHUA 24:18-25 – We will serve the Lord, for He is our God. But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.” Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.” And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem.

THEME OF THE DAY. REMOVING IDOLS IN OUR LIVES. Today’s scripture is Joshua’s dying words to the people of God. He has successfully carried the baton of leadership Moses passed down to him. Now he is going home to be with the Lord and has some last words for God’s people. When it comes to dying words, they are important words. If we knew tomorrow was going to be our last day on earth, the conversations with our family and friends today would matter – a lot. There would be no trivial exchanges. We wouldn’t be talking about the winter that never seems to end. Nor would we be bantering back and forth about last night’s Red Sox game. No, this would be intimate, personal, and focusing on things that really, really matter. And that is what Joshua is doing. He is exhorting God’s people to what really, really matters in life – wholehearted, “all in” obedience to God. Let’s enter the scene.

Joshua opens up this chapter reminding God’s people of His goodness to them from their captivity in Egypt to this present day. He recounts how God provided for them and led them through difficult times. And this godly man would say, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness” (Joshua 24:14). Basically, Joshua is using logic in exhorting them. He is saying, “God has been so faithful to you, it is only right that you respond with sincere and faithful obedience to Him.” And the people are quick to say, “For sure, we are all in” . . . at least they said, “We are all in”. Here is their response, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods, 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” (Joshua 24:16-17). That brings us to the scripture of today.

God’s people make this public profession of “we will serve the Lord”. Notice Joshua’s response (my paraphrase) – “Really? I don’t think so. You say ‘We will serve the Lord’, but you have a divided heart. You are clinging to selfish desires and your own will. Your talk sounds good, but what about those idols in your lives? The one true God is jealous and will have no rivals. You cannot serve Him and yourselves. You cannot live out His will and sprinkle some of yours with it. No, you must put away all worldly things and be ‘all in’ with the one true God.” Please take some time and go back up and read this dialogue. Joshua is straightforward. He downplays nothing. He puts them into a position to choose – either serve God or not. And nothing has changed when it comes to our relationship with God. It is either “all in” or “not in.”

The Lord will not allow His people to have dual allegiances. We cannot have idols in our lives and think we can walk close with the one true God. Impossible. Now we might say, “I don’t have idols in my life. Check out my home. No statues there.” Actually, we do have idols. Maybe not statues or images. No, our idols are more sophisticated. They come in the forms of technology, social media, internet, hobbies, entertainment, jobs, money, sports, and other people. The definition of an idol is anyone or anything that holds a higher place and tighter grip on our hearts and lives than the Lord Jesus. It would be wise for all of us to sit down for an extended time with the Lord and ask Him to reveal our idols. He will and that is the first step to being free from the bondage of idolatry; a freedom that sets our hearts soaring in holy enjoyment and amazement of the one true God.

PRAYER: “Lord, help me to choose all through the day to put You and Your will ahead of mine.”

QUOTE: “We live the Christian life moment-by-moment, one decision at a time – God’s will or ours”