The Choice Is Yours
All
day long, all week long, all month long and all year long we find ourselves
perplexed and sometimes comforted by the fact that we must continually make
decisions. When we wake up in the morning or even before going to bed, we
make a decision as to what we are going to wear. The decisions that we make
are sometimes simple and sometimes extremely complex and multifaceted. Nevertheless,
we make decisions daily. Whether we enjoy pondering and processing the decisions
we are forced to make or not, as children and adults, the fact still remains
that we will be making decisions for the rest of our lives. Making the right
decision at the right time is often critical to survival. Therefore, being
a righteous decision maker is imperative.
In some situations
people are forced into conditions where decisions are made for them. Some
people have lost the right to decide when to go to sleep, when to eat and
when to wake up. But when it comes
down to God's relationship with man and woman, the choice is yours.
God is not going to force humanity to make a decision. He has already laid
the foundation, offering the world a superlative gift and the choice is now
yours as to whether you will not only open the gift but use it everyday of
your life.
To illustrate
our point, we will use a dramatic and impressive time in the life of Joshua.
Joshua, a righteous man of God, was attempting to persuade his people to make
a choice. The choice was in the hand of the Israelites and Joshua wanted them
to make the correct spiritual choice.
Let us
begin with two verses of scripture:
Joshua
24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in
truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of
the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
Of course,
at this time the Nation of Israel had been conquering there paganistic neighbors
out of the Cannan and Joshua shared the above words with his people during
his farewell speech. The life of Joshua was coming to a close, but he wanted
to ensure that the people of God would remain steadfast in his absence. Joshua
knew the history of his people, how at the drop of a hat they could turn their
backs on God, simply to serve the graven images of an unholy people.
In chapter
23 and 24 Joshua provided an historical context and pleaded with his people
to stick with God. He urged and did
all he could to persuade them to remain in the providential care of God. He
encouraged them to make an immediate decision. He did not ask them to make
a decision when the time felt right, or when the weather was good, he encouraged
them to make a decision IMMEDIATELY!
In chapter
23 Joshua said:
12 Else
if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations,
even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and
go in unto them, and they to you:
Just like Joshua,
God is pleading with us to make the right choice. The choice is yours. God
wants to take care of you and He wants you to do the right thing. In essence,
Joshua said and God is saying now, choose today whether you are going to serve
the world or Me. God wants to know (today) whether you are going to put Him
first or last? Even if you admit to putting God second it is the same abominable
thing as putting him last. We love him because He First loved us, so how could
anyone put Him second?
As Joshua persuaded
his people to make a decision, he was not simply satisfied with their affirmative
answer of serving God in verse 18. Joshua knew that lip service was not enough
to exact change and lifelong commitment, so he put the pressure on and truly
made the people see the imminent danger and punishment of God if they decided
to later neglect their confession.
Look
at his argument and directed caution in the following passage:
Joshua
24:19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for
he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions
nor your sins.
Joshua wanted
the people to be fully persuaded in their choice. He wanted them to know of
the good and the bad. Joshua knew the fickleness of Israel, therefore He held
no punches. And in the next verse (21) the people again proclaimed they would
serve God.
At that point
Joshua, the instrument of God, held them accountable for their confession
and verbalized dedication
to God. He
stated in the following passage:
Joshua
24:22 “…Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you
the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
The Choice
Is Yours! Who are you going to dedicate yourself to today. Are you going to serve God or are you going to serve Mammon.
Once the people of Israel made their dedication known he said to them, Now
therefore put away the strange gods which are among you, and incline your
heart unto the LORD God of Israel.
If your choice
is to serve the world it is my prayer that God will continue to grant you
the time needed to change your life and come to repentance. But for those
of you who are choosing God, follow the words of Joshua and put the strange
gods away from you. All of those elements in your life that do not agree with
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, put them away. Excavate them out of your
life. Paul said to the Christians in Corinth, “Wherefore come out from
among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you…” (Corinthians 6:17). Whether it is sex, men, women,
marijuana, money, a swift tongue, envy, an unforgiving heart, lewdness or
any other sin, put it aside and serve Almighty God.
In Hebrews
10:31 the Bible says “It is
a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Give yourself
to God as opposed to falling into his hands because of disobedience. Regardless
of what the world and fair-weather Christians are doing be like Joshua,
and be able to utter and live the words: "...As for me and
my house, we will serve the LORD."
The Choice
Is Yours! Make the right one today.
God Bless