Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of 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.
—Joshua 24:14-15
Joshua, the great field general for Moses, was in the closing moments of his life. He had seen and experienced much, both under Moses’ command and by leading Israel himself. He had lived through both the failures and the successes of life in the Promised Land. He himself had been faithful and triumphed in victory; he himself had been prayerless and suffered defeat.
Joshua made a statement so stunning it is still repeated to this day: serving God is a choice, even when you are one of God’s chosen people. We all make hundreds, maybe even thousands, of choices each day. You have made the choice to read this devotional, maybe have coffee and breakfast, and brush your teeth (I hope). The rest of the day will be followed by a series of choices spanning lane changes during your commute to what’s for lunch. Some may choose to take a class or drop one. Others will choose to call a client or make a delivery.
In the midst of all these everyday choices, you must also choose whether to serve God. You don’t have to read your devotional, you don’t have to eat your breakfast or lunch, you don’t have to brush your teeth. But isn’t life better if you do? Choose today to serve God in some way. It pleases Him, impacts others, and makes you the beneficiary of His blessings.
Life is filled with distractions, many of them time stealers used by the enemy. But our God, who has chosen us in His Son, asks us to choose to serve Him. Choose this day to serve with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength the one who alone is worthy. You will never regret it, nor will you ever feel as though you have wasted the precious gift of time.
Excerpt from “Body Builders” now available on Amazon.
