Daily Devotional | Serving Nothing Else

Do you know that the average person makes roughly 30,000 decisions in a single day? Some choices are small, such as “How long should I brush my teeth?” Others are life-altering, such as “Should I marry this person?” Life is full of choices. And as we near the end of the Israelites’ quest, we find that God’s people faced an enormous decision.

In the first 13 verses, Joshua reminds the leaders about their history. He begins with Terah, the father of Abraham, and concludes with the quest they had just completed. Did Joshua feel the people had forgotten what had just transpired? Did they already need this history lesson? No. Joshua recalled what the Lord had done in order to convince the people of Israel to commit their lives to Yahweh alone (vv. 14–15). Ultimately, he gave them an important choice. Who would they serve? He made his own decision very clear: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (v. 15).

The people’s response must have been pleasing to Joshua’s ears, reaching to Yahweh’s throne. They responded, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!” (v. 16). They recognized that throughout their quest, the Lord had carried them, so they devoted their lives to Him (v. 21). Joshua warned them that if they turned away from God and were unfaithful to Him, the same judgment and consequences the Canaanites faced would be on them (vv. 19–20). But if they remained obedient to God’s laws and were faithful to Him, then the Lord would bless them all the days of their life. Joshua left the Israelites with this choice. What were they going to do?

>> What is your choice? Out of all the decisions in your lifetime, none is more important than whether or not you surrender your life to the Lord. I can guarantee there is no greater decision you will ever make. Choose today to serve Him. He will give you courage for your quest!