- But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. Joshua 24:19 – Joshua isn’t here telling the people it’s impossible to serve God and find forgiveness, he just wants them to know the seriousness of their choice to follow God. That following God isn’t just a simple saying that you follow Him, God requires us being all in. If we think that we can find this relationship with God we need by just saying we have Jesus rather than just actually giving ourselves over to His leadership and commands this is where Joshua’s words “you are not able to serve the Lord” comes in. In order for us to serve Him and be with Him, it’s coming to God His way and giving ourselves wholly to Him. So how have to come to God? Was is just in word saying you follow him but no actions have followed it? Was is trying to get to Him through your own ways rather than through Jesus? We will never be able to serve God and be in relationship with Him by just as simple passing of words like “oh yeah, I’m a Christian.” Do you really follow Him? Have you chosen for your life to follow Him with all that you have and given yourself wholly to Him? That’s when we’ll be able to serve Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac
- Joshua 24 Daily DEVO 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 24:15 – We have to make a choice who we’re going to serve, but what do we look at to determine what’s best to give our life to? Here Joshua lays out clearly how God provided for their ancestors in Egypt and even further back. Then he shows how God has been the one providing every step of the way in this current journey they’ve been on. For us we don’t only have the massive amount of stories of scripture to give us proof that God is the right choice on who to serve, we have our own journey as a testimony of that truth. We can look back and see clearly that “it was not by your sword or by your bow” that got us through our struggles, it was all God. So today when your choosing who you’re going to serve today examine what God did for the people in scripture, examine what He’s done in the lives of those around you, and examine what He’s done in your own story. If all of that convinces you He’s unworthy of your service then make your choice accordingly, but that’s never going to be the outcome you come away with. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1188
- Joshua 24 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant. Joshua 24:12-13 – If I did my counting correctly, in this first section of the chapter the word “I” is used 18 times. God is speaking and reminding the people exactly what He did for them up to this point. I took Abraham, I gave Jacob, I sent, I did, I brought, I destroyed, I delivered. God is making it clear that He was the one that did everything. Which meant it wasn’t by the power of the people this happened, nor by the power of any idol they were worshipping that brought all this about for them. It was God alone. As we look back at our story, I wonder how many situations God would point out and say “I” did that. I brought you out of that season, I provided for you when you had nothing, I kept you safe in the storm, I gave you life. When we give God the credit for such things in our story, it’s nearly impossible not to worship Him. For when we acknowledge it wasn’t our power or wisdom, nor the power of any other creation that got us to where we are today, it makes that choice of us and our house serving the Lord much easier. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2483
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