March 26 - I Will Serve the Lord

 Read today’s texts first: Joshua 23,24; Psalms 44; 1 Corinthians 11

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). Our choices not only affect us and our future, but they
influence those who are walking behind us.

Who in the Bible was born without any parents? The answer - Joshua, the son of none (Nun). Sorry ‘bout that, but as a kid I loved Bible jokes. Joshua did have parents, probably good ones from the way he turned out. He also had an excellent mentor, most likely shadowing Moses from the moment they left Egypt. And Joshua was definitely a son of God, one of only a few leaders in the Bible who finished well. We all remember his parting words to Israel. If you grew up in a Christian home you may have had them displayed on a plaque: Choose you this day whom you will serve ... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (24:15).

You most likely heard your parents say this to you often: “make good choices!” We all have choices to make every day. Unlike animals (in God’s creation, humans are not animals so don’t believe those who tell you differently), we do not live our lives by programmed instincts. We were created in God’s image, and one of the characteristics we inherited from Him is the ability to choose how we live our lives on this earth and where we will spend eternity. But the choice to serve God is more than a one-time decision. We are saved, or become a child of God, with one decision, but we work out our salvation (Phil. 2:12) by making godly choices every day.

Joshua stands out as an example of a man who did just that. What is even more remarkable is the legacy he left behind:  Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel (24:30). Like his mentor, Moses, Joshua left Israel in good hands. Paul, the apostle, made the same kind of choices and was able to say to his followers and successors: Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). Our choices not only affect us and our future, but they influence those who are walking behind us.

“Lord, my prayer is the same as Joshua: I choose to serve You this day and every day; as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”