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“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.”
My Two Cents….
Oh those gods of the ancestors beyond the River!
The Book of Joshua reads more like a script from an action movie than a sacred text to aid us in our devotion. Battles. Conquest. Pow! Bam! Dust and flames rise in the air as the walls of Jericho came tumbling down!
Yet, during the closing scene of Joshua’s life, he gathers the people together and shares with them words of wisdom and commitment. Joshua recalls the faithfulness of God through the ages - from the early days of the Abrahamic covenant through the Exodus and to the conquest of the promised land. God remained present, active, and gracious. Throughout that same period the track record of the people was not so good. More than once, they wandered away and worshiped other gods.
Witnessing with his own life, Joshua invites a renewed commitment to the Living God. His words are memorable and have found there way into religious decorations that adorn the walls of believing households to this day. Perhaps you have hanging somewhere in your home something that says, “but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
I’ve always liked this verse as it proclaims that no matter what happens, we will stick with God. As I read it again, however, I notice that it was originally spoken in the context of folks turning to other gods.
In the days of Joshua, the gods were crafted into household idols made out of wood and precious metal. Folks would put these in little shrines and worship them in hopes of favorably influencing crops, fertility, and fortune. Devotion to gods of various sizes, traditions, religions, and cultures was all the rage.
We have the same trouble today. There are MANY gods that folks (ourselves included) worship. I continue to find helpful Martin Luther’s definition of a god. He said that a god is anything that we turn to in times of need.
What do you turn to when you are in need? How about when you are content? To what do you devote your time, energy, and other precious resources? As you sort out your answer, look at your latest credit card bill. Where did you spend your money? It can give us important clues as to what is most important to us and is likely to be the recipient of our devotion.
How might we join Joshua in recommiting ourselves to the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus? In what ways might we refocus the way we spend our time, talent, and treasure so that we support the kinds of things that glorify and serve God?
I’ll leave these questions open for you to ponder. Have a blessed week.
In Christ’s Light,
Walt
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Permission granted to share today's content with family and friends. Copyrighted 2019. Walt Lichtenberger