perseverance

Perseverance

Readings for today: Joshua 23-24, Judges 1

One of the more challenging aspects to the Christian faith is perseverance. Remaining faithful to God over the long haul. Staying obedient to His will. Living a life of repentance before Him. It’s far too easy to start to coast. Far too tempting to rely on our own strength. Our own gifts. Our own wisdom. When we start to trust ourselves more than God, the horizons of our life begin to shrink. What was once possible with God becomes impossible for us. There are simply too many obstacles. Too many reasons why we can’t or shouldn’t or won’t. This is nothing new. Consider these words from Joshua to Israel at the end of his life…

“Now, stay strong and steady. Obediently do everything written in the Book of The Revelation of Moses—don’t miss a detail. Don’t get mixed up with the nations that are still around. Don’t so much as speak the names of their gods or swear by them. And by all means don’t worship or pray to them. Hold tight to God, your God, just as you’ve done up to now.” (Joshua 23:6-8 MSG) 

Joshua understood the fickleness of human nature. He knew the people of Israel would struggle to remain faithful in the years ahead. He knew there was still much of the land to conquer. Much of their inheritance to claim. He knew it would be a fight and he knew how easy it would be to settle. To fall into the trap that they had done enough. To fail to complete the conquest of the Promised Land God had given them. To allow the pagan nations to remain and begin to accommodate their pagan ways. Joshua charges Israel to set a different course. Choose this day whom you will serve. Either the pagan gods of the lands you came from/are going to or the God who delivered you from slavery and bondage in Egypt. His words are worth reading again…

 “So now: Fear God. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship God. If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.” (Joshua 24:14-15 MSG)

Every day we are faced with this same choice. Either we will worship the gods of capitalism, materialism, fundamentalism, or whatever “ism” you want to insert or we will worship the True and Living God who revealed Himself fully and completely in Jesus Christ and delivered us from the powers of sin and death. Either we will obey our own wants and desires, do what seems right in our own eyes, rely on our own strength and wisdom to make our way in the world or we will seek the Lord with our whole heart, obediently walk in His way, believe in His truth, and receive His life. Take some time today to prayerfully reflect on your life and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the choice you have made.

Readings for tomorrow: None