S
stevi_holy
Guest
Good morning. Welcome to Wednesday, March 16th..
"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." Joshua 24:15
How does God help us make decisions? The question begins with
an awareness that God always wants what is best for us and the
world around us. Our ability to take responsibility for ourselves, to
make our own choices, is an aspect of our partnership with God -
we have our part to do. We decide that we will use our abilities to
reason. Joshua points out where we go next.
Joshua was the leader of the people of Israel after Moses. Joshua
was chosen by God to finish the task begun under Moses - to lead
the people of God into the land which God had promised them.
Joshua understood, after seeing his people turn away from God
again and again during their time in the wilderness, that the
Promised Land was more than a piece of dirt. It was a place
where God could live in relationship with his people. Joshua
understood that a commitment to faithfulness was the first step in
securing God's promise.
"As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." That rock
solid declaration of allegiance covers every aspect of our lives.
Before we make choices, before we make decisions, before we
turn to God for help and guidance, we have to begin with the same
commitment to faithfulness and service to God.
Like marriage or parenting, faithfulness to God isn't a "sometimes"
thing. It is an all the time thing!
Having made that commitment, we are well on the way to
understanding the choices God would have us make in our lives.
How do we serve the Lord? We listen to what he has revealed to
us through his written Word, the Bible, and through his Living
Word, Jesus.
We serve the Lord by making our commitment to him the only
priority in our lives. We serve him by turning to him in prayer, by
worshiping him, and by living with integrity, honesty, justice and
love toward our neighbors. The Ten Commandments are more
than dusty old sheets of paper that once hung on the schoolhouse
wall - they are living guides teaching us how to follow the two great
commandments - love of God and love of neighbor.
Have you made a rock solid commitment to serve the Lord, all the
time, in every aspect of your life? While you will never be perfect in
living out that commitment, you CAN be perfect in making it.
Let us pray: Gracious Lord, like Joshua, I want to make a
commitment that I will serve you all the time. I don't want to treat
you like a "sometimes" God - I want to be open to your guidance in
every aspect of my life, at all times. I know that in my baptism, you
have claimed me as your own, now I want to live in such a way that
demonstrates that I truly believe that to be so. In Jesus' name.
Amen.
"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." Joshua 24:15
How does God help us make decisions? The question begins with
an awareness that God always wants what is best for us and the
world around us. Our ability to take responsibility for ourselves, to
make our own choices, is an aspect of our partnership with God -
we have our part to do. We decide that we will use our abilities to
reason. Joshua points out where we go next.
Joshua was the leader of the people of Israel after Moses. Joshua
was chosen by God to finish the task begun under Moses - to lead
the people of God into the land which God had promised them.
Joshua understood, after seeing his people turn away from God
again and again during their time in the wilderness, that the
Promised Land was more than a piece of dirt. It was a place
where God could live in relationship with his people. Joshua
understood that a commitment to faithfulness was the first step in
securing God's promise.
"As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." That rock
solid declaration of allegiance covers every aspect of our lives.
Before we make choices, before we make decisions, before we
turn to God for help and guidance, we have to begin with the same
commitment to faithfulness and service to God.
Like marriage or parenting, faithfulness to God isn't a "sometimes"
thing. It is an all the time thing!
Having made that commitment, we are well on the way to
understanding the choices God would have us make in our lives.
How do we serve the Lord? We listen to what he has revealed to
us through his written Word, the Bible, and through his Living
Word, Jesus.
We serve the Lord by making our commitment to him the only
priority in our lives. We serve him by turning to him in prayer, by
worshiping him, and by living with integrity, honesty, justice and
love toward our neighbors. The Ten Commandments are more
than dusty old sheets of paper that once hung on the schoolhouse
wall - they are living guides teaching us how to follow the two great
commandments - love of God and love of neighbor.
Have you made a rock solid commitment to serve the Lord, all the
time, in every aspect of your life? While you will never be perfect in
living out that commitment, you CAN be perfect in making it.
Let us pray: Gracious Lord, like Joshua, I want to make a
commitment that I will serve you all the time. I don't want to treat
you like a "sometimes" God - I want to be open to your guidance in
every aspect of my life, at all times. I know that in my baptism, you
have claimed me as your own, now I want to live in such a way that
demonstrates that I truly believe that to be so. In Jesus' name.
Amen.
