May 1, 2014.

My sister asked me recently what my favorite verse was, and I chose two because I couldn’t choose. However, since I have written multiple times about Ecclesiastes and the fact that we just got done with a discussion on Ephesians with different roles that we play, I decided to write about this one today:

“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.”
(Joshua 24:14-15)

I think I first came into contact with this verse at a friend’s house where a shortened version was framed. It read “Choose yet this day whom ye shall serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve The Lord.” Or something like that. Joshua is addressing the Israelites in this passage and giving essentially his farewell to the people that he has led for so long. These are some of the last words that he would say to the people which says to me that they are quite important.

What a statement! Joshua was a strong leader. He had to be to follow Moses, the man called by God to lead the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. I think this is a good lesson that we can take and apply to our lives today. Joshua was the leader of his family. He stepped up in the role that God had given him. He was confident that as the leader, his family would follow The Lord throughout their time here on earth. I love that. I believe that this is the way it is supposed to work. That’s not to say that no one else in his family helped him, because I know they did. But this is what I want for my family to come (whenever that happens).

“Train up a child in the way he should go;even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
(Proverbs 22:6)

God’s word speaks many times on training our children and leading our family in the light of God. If He is not the most important person in the family, then can we really say we are leading our family in the right way? I believe this is bigger than just getting it right. This is not just our own salvation. This is the lives of the people we love and on whom we have the most influence. With the help of God, we can lead our families in the light and on to a blissful eternal home. May we all strive towards his holiness.

Suggested Daily Reading: Joshua 1, 24, Proverbs 1, 22.

Grace and peace.

-Walter