Monday, February 13, 2012

Joshua 24

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! … We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.”
“Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”

Even in open acknowledgement (head knowledge) of what all God had done for the history of their people and even themselves, beyond their strong commitments to serve the LORD God and having lived to possess the promises made, these former-wilderness-sojourners have to be told to throw away the foreign gods that are among them and to yield their heart to their God. It seems that it should be so simple for them to choose God. To follow Him relentlessly. To surrender all of their essence to Him; but it’s not.

Where does the complications come from?
 Why was it so difficult for them?
Why is it so challenging for me?
Why do foreign gods even have a shelf to sit on in my life?
Why does my heart beat so fiercely for being unfettered to God all the while it is enslaved to culture, the world, flesh, the enemy’s wanton use?
Why is this a daily choice for me?
Why doesn’t this get any easier?
Why do the lures still have influence?
Why does the lie still speak?

God help me. May this resistance be used to push back on sin, the disease of deception and whatever sets itself up against the knowledge of the True, the purpose of the holy and the claim of my King. Help me to never forget, to always choose a yieldedness to You and to purge from my camp anything which is unclean, unholy or seeks to draw glory away from You, great and only God of mine. May You alone be praised, worshiped and honored with my life and my choices. May I steward well Your grace, trust, promises-made and promises-kept.

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