Jos 24:15 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 most famous statement uttered by Joshua could be this: “Choose this day whom you will serve..." (Joshua 24:15).
Joshua is now old and about to die. He observes that the people are happily settling in the land of Canaan. He observes they are beginning to drift away from God. In the wilderness, and during the war, they needed God. But now that they are living peacefully and have their stomachs filled, they show signs of forgetting God. Joshua asks them to make a choice: “Choose you this day whom you will serve..." (Joshua 24:15).
Joshua called on the people to choose between serving other gods or serving the one, true God. Then, Joshua sets the example with this declaration: "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Today we face the same dilemma – choosing God or the world. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that we can be devoted only to one; we cannot serve both God and money.
Like Joshua, we must make a clear choice between serving God or our own interests.
The people of Israel in Joshua's day were serving God halfheartedly. Joshua asked them to put away the strange gods from among them and incline their hearts to Jehovah (Joshua 24:23). It implies they were “limping” between the one true God and the gods of the world. Their devotion was divided.
Joshua said they could only have one commitment. God would not allow shared devotion: it is either Him, or nothing. It is like a marriage relationship: your wife would never allow your heart to be shared with another woman. She expects total commitment from you, and you would expect the same from her too.
Halfhearted love is insincere, hypocritical, and lacks honesty and integrity. Just as your spouse would not allow halfhearted love, God demands total commitment: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30).
Are you giving God only half your heart?
Money might not be your problem. But what about your career, family, entertainment, or self? Did any one of those things cause you to miss worship or Bible class? Had any of those things caused you to be unable to serve God in the church?
We have seen Christian men and women who were zealous when they were young, but are no longer once when they come out to work, got married, and had children. They used to attend Thursday night Bible classes, and serve in various ministries. Now they say they have no time.
The children of Israel were “limping” between serving God and the world. Joshua declared he and his house would serve God as their only Master.