cybermissionaries

Life's Choices

Joshua 24:15 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.

Life is full of decisions; we make thousands of decisions every day. Most of these decisions are so small and automatic that we don’t even realize we’re making them, like turning on a light switch when we get up in the morning. Whether the choice is a conscious one, or an unconscious one, our choices define who we are. Billy Graham once said, "The strongest principle of life and blessings lies in our choice. Our life is the sum result of all the choices we make, both consciously and unconsciously. If we can control the process of choosing, we can take control of all aspects of our life. We can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of our life. So start with what is right rather than what is acceptable”.

"If you don’t make a decision, then time will make it for you, and time will always side against you."

Joshua, reaching the end of his life demands a choice be made by the Israelites. Joshua will not let time make the decision for them, but demands the decision be made “this day”. This is not a “let us think about it and get back to you” option; it was not an offer to form a committee and debate the choices. Joshua draws a proverbial line in the sand, with the Lord, Jehovah on one side and the gods of the Chaldeans and the gods of the Amorites on the other.

Joshua boldly demands “choose you this day whom ye will serve”. If you think it evil, unreasonable or inconvenient to follow the Lord then go back to the manmade empty idol worship of your ancestors. If you think it wrong to serve the Lord your God then go back to the land and traditions of your ancestors the Chaldeans.

The Chaldean’s traditions ran so deep in polytheism that every city of their ancestral land had its own God. These traditions were a clear violation of the law handed down by God through Moses. This was a culture filled with empty worship, empty traditions and empty beliefs. The Chaldeans believed that by pouring water over the mouth of an idol that the god would then indwell the statue.

The second choice that Joshua gives the Israelites is to serve “the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell”. The Amorites were a people that wore animal skins, ate raw meat with the blood still in it. They are the representatives of heathen superstition; idolaters, an evil and sinful people that practiced black arts and witchcraft.

If it is unreasonable for you to serve the Lord your God and the need to endear yourself to the people and culture in whose land you now live is more important than serving the Lord your God, then choose the gods of the Amorites.

Joshua boldly, fearlessly risks standing alone when he says “choose you this day whom ye will serve”. Joshua very well could have been the inspiration of Joan of Arc when she was abandoned by those who should have stood by her. She said “It is better to be alone with God. His friendship will not fail me nor His counsel, nor His love. In His strength I will dare and dare and dare until I die.” The fear of standing alone is powerful and will make some of the best of us fall to peer pressure. When you stand up for God and His righteousness; take courage because you will never stand alone. Joshua’s fearlessness for God reminds me of Paul in Romans 1:16 when he says “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ”.

Michael Owenby, of Carrollton, Georgia tells this story of Dale Earnhardt. On Sunday, February 18, 2001, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, known as “The Intimidator,” was in third place on the last lap of the Daytona 500 when his car was hit from behind and sent into the wall at 180 miles per hour. An autopsy revealed Earnhardt died of blunt trauma to the head.

Some have suggested that if Earnhardt had been wearing the HANS (Head and Neck Safety Device) he would have survived the crash. Although this device was available, Earnhardt, like many other drivers that day, chose not to use it. That neglect may have cost him his life.

The Bible tells us that every individual is on a collision course with God’s judgment. God has provided a safety device designed to keep people from suffering eternal death and separation from him. But like Dale Earnhardt and the other drivers in the race that day, each of us must decide whether to accept or neglect this offer.

Choose you this day who you will serve. Will it be the empty traditions of antiquity? Will you choose to serve the world, friends, current cultural trends and follow the crowd to fit in? Or will you have the courage to possible stand alone and serve the Lord your God?

God does not want us to serve by chance, or by force, but by choice. Choose you this day who you will serve.