“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
You may have seen the words on a sign hanging in someone’s home:
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
It’s a beautiful statement of faith. But when Joshua first spoke those words, they weren’t intended primarily as home décor. They were part of a serious conversation with God’s people about whom they trusted.
Israel had reached a turning point. God had brought them into the Promised Land, and Joshua was nearing the end of his life. Before calling the people to serve the Lord, Joshua reminded them of everything God had already done for them.
God had been faithful every step of the way.
Now Joshua tells them to put away the false gods that remained among them and serve the Lord. If they refuse, then they should decide whom they are going to serve instead.
“Choose this day whom you will serve.”
At first, that can sound like Joshua is saying faith is simply a matter of making the right decision. Choose God instead of the alternatives.
But notice the order of the chapter. God acts first.
Long before Israel responds, God chooses Abraham, rescues His people, protects them, provides for them, and gives them a home. Their service to God is a response to what He has already done. In other words, Joshua isn’t speaking to a bunch of gentiles trying to convince them to believe in Yahweh. He is speaking to God’s people telling them to continue serving God in the Promised Land.
I remember a time when I was trying to sell my house. We had been trying for several months and nothing. The longer it took, the more I prayed and read the Bible. Then, one day we got an offer. It stuck and we sold the house. Yay! Now, what was I going to do?
Would I continue praying and reading the Bible or, now that I had what I wanted (sold my house), would I let that fall away?
Now that Israel had been delivered and received the Promised Land, will they continue to serve the God who got them there?
That’s an important distinction for our lives as well.
We don’t become God’s people because one day we decide to be faithful enough. God comes to us first. He calls us through the Gospel, gives us faith by His Spirit, forgives our sins through Christ, and makes us His own.
Then, as His people, we face choices every day about how we will live.
Those decisions don’t earn God’s grace. They flow from it.
Joshua could say,
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,”
because he knew the Lord whom he served. He had spent a lifetime witnessing God’s faithfulness.
The same God has been faithful to you.
So Joshua’s words are worth putting on the wall. But they’re even better when they shape the life lived inside the house.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
You loved me and made me Your own before I could ever offer anything to You. Thank You for Your faithfulness and for the salvation You have given me through Christ. Keep me from the false gods that compete for my trust, and help me to serve You faithfully in my home and in my daily life, when there are things I need, after I receive them, and every day of my life.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
