But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.--Joshua 22:5
Joshua gives the children of Israel his farewell address in Chapter 23 and tells them to take careful heed to love the Lord their God. In Chapter 24, Joshua tells the Israelites to choose whom they will serve. Serving is what this devotional is about but Joshua got it in the right order. I serve my family because I love them. Loving them makes me want to care for them and serve them. Serving God should following loving Him. You see if we truly, truly understand in our hearts what our God has done for us, we will love Him and our desire will be to serve Him. Our love for Him will compel us! He who has been forgiven much loves much. God's love is outlined for us in 1 Corinthians 13. Read verses 1-3:
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."
Love should be the motivating force behind all that we do. Without love as the Scripture says we are nothing and even if I give my body to be burned, it profits me nothing. We serve our God because we "love" to...not because we "have" to.
Joshua spends the first part of chapter 24 reminding the people that God had done it all for them. All that they had and saw were gifts from His hand. In Joshua 24:14-15 he puts the choice to the people and asks them to choose whom they will serve.
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. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
The only way to serve God rightly is in sincerity and in truth. Serving God in any other way is a lie and will be fraught with wrong motives. It is anything but peaceable and pure and as James says, "
"For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there."
Make no mistake each one of us will choose the "god" we will serve. We will either be impassioned and influenced by the God of Israel allowing Him to be our focal point, our Master, our Savior and our Lord or we will be devoted to arranging our lives around some other passion...money, pleasure, knowledge, etc. I love how Joshua points out how foolish they would be to serve another God. The Israelites were not making a blind leap of faith in choosing to serve the Lord...they saw His might and His power...they witnessed His miracles. Let's look at some other verses that talk about serving.
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.--1 Samuel 7:3
And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.--1 Samuel 12:20
Samuel warns them not to turn aside from serving and following the Lord, but reminds them to serve Him with all of their hearts. This "whole heart" message is repeated often in Scripture. It is so like us to go after vain things...things that might provide us with temporary relief or temporary distraction but in the end only increase our misery. They will not profit nor deliver as Samuel says. In fact, they will keep us from cleaving unto our God and take us out of the place of blessing. The more we look up to Jesus the more these things will grow dim in the light of His glory and grace.
Jesus also warns us not to have a divided heart.
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.--Matthew 4:10
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.--Matthew 6:24
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.--John 12:26
If we are cleaving unto our Lord, then wherever He is, we will be also...ready, willing and available to serve...separated unto the gospel of Christ. His presence will be with us and will go before us in whatever we face and whatever we do. If we are nigh unto Him (as a good servant always is) we will consider His desires before our own...we will listen and wait for His commands...and we will know and pray for those things that He desires. What does God desire...that His people stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.--Colossians 4:12
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;--Romans 1:9
Hearken to the Lord's voice. Love Him with all of your heart. Walk in His ways and keep His commandments. Cleave unto HIm. Serve Him with a thankful and grateful heart for all He has done. Seek to please Him and not man for it is from Him that your reward will come.
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.--Galatians 1:10
