DECISION TIME
Opening Prayer
Thank You, God, that You have sustained me every step of my faith journey. Thank You for those You’ve placed alongside me.
Read Joshua 24:1–15
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
The Covenant Renewed at Shechem
24 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.
2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.
5 “‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. 6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen[a] as far as the Red Sea.[b] 7 But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.
8 “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. 9 When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. 10 But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.
11 “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. 12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. 13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’
14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Footnotes
a. Joshua 24:6 Or charioteers
b. Joshua 24:6 Or the Sea of Reeds
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Consider your faith journey and times of public commitment you made – maybe baptism, confirmation, an affirmation of faith.Joshua’s final speech to the people is a call to stay on track. They have worked hard to occupy the land. They have won many battles. But what next?
The speech is a masterpiece. Note in his retelling of the story from God’s perspective the focus is on what the Lord has done: ‘I took… I gave… I sent… I brought you out… I destroyed them… I gave you a land’ (3–13). Israel’s identity as a people is completely bound up with the work of their God.
The challenge that Joshua gives is singular in focus. ‘Whose servant will you be?’ he inquires. The word ‘serve’ is used six times (14, 15). There is no place for Israel to sit on the fence.
Like all good leaders, Joshua leads the way (15). He nails his colors to the mast and calls for them to make a decision: ‘choose for yourselves’ (15). Whose side are you on? It is time to take a stand.
Apply
Read Hebrews 12:1,2. Use today’s reading to renew your decision to follow Christ. What do you need to throw off?
Closing prayer
Jesus, I need Your grace each moment to persevere in this race I’ve begun. Be with me.
Book and Author Intros
Extras
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