“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 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.” Josh 24:15 (Amplified)
Will he or won’t he? Well, ultimately he didn’t and who can blame Gordon Brown for not calling an election that would likely make life more difficult for him? Why shoot himself in the foot and make it easier for his political opponents to finish him off?
One good thing about the whole thing is that we in Britain have the right as well as opportunities to exercise our civic rights to choose our own leaders, after which we have to live with our choice until the next opportunity comes along. Millions of people all over the world would give their right arm just to have a taste of the freedom we enjoy, rather than having people foist themselves over and then abuse them.
The issue of choice and service is nothing new to our world. In fact, four millennia ago, the Israelites were given the opportunity to choose who would rule their hearts – Jehovah or the gods of the Amorites. Shortly before he died, Joshua challenged his people to make a choice as to whom they would serve. The people replied that they would serve God and vowed to that end. However, history tells us a different story. After a short while, the Israelites went their own way and began serving other gods.
Our modern lives are so full of choices such that we sometimes despair at just making up our minds as to what we should do. Nevertheless, one overarching choice that we all have to make is whether we would serve God or serve the devil. The reflex choice for the majority of people is to serve God since few people would openly opt to serve the devil. However, as we all know and as the Israelites’ lives would attest, making a choice is the easiest part. Living that choice is ultimately the most important aspect of our decision making.
Jehovah God, as well as the gods of the Amorites are both alive and well today. The daily challenge we face is whether we would choose to obey the former or the latter in everything that we do. Nevertheless, one thing is sure, whatever our decision, we will have to live with our choices. God’s challenge to us in Deut 30: 15-19 remains true and our individual choices are what ultimately determine what we get from Him – His blessings or curses, life or death, commendation or judgment. The good news is that irrespective of whatever bad choices you might have made in the past, you can make another one today to only serve God.
He is not only powerful enough to nullify the consequences of those bad choices, but can also use your mistakes to build something new that would testify to His greatness. 2 Cor 5:17 In this way, you will not just be turning over a new leave, but a new life. Therefore, choose God today and live life in abundance. Jesus Christ came into this world so that you can enjoy the real la dolce vita.
Prayer:
Lord, the entrance of your word gives life. I choose to serve you today and turn every area of my life over to you. Be not just my saviour but also my Lord. Amen.