Joshua 20-24 Doing Both

Everyone settled into the land God had promised them.  But Joshua wanted to make sure that they didn’t settle for less than God.  In his farewell speech, he made it clear that they had to make a decision to serve God.  There could be no neutrality. 

 

Then he called their hand on something really surprising – some of them were still sacrificing to or hiding Egyptian idols, after 40 years of wandering in the desert plus all those years of conquering the land!

 

“His point was that they couldn’t do BOTH,” my commentary said.  “Joshua warned them what would happen if they didn’t get rid of their idols:  They would eventually forsake the Lord, and then He would have to chasten them … Their great need was to cleanse their hearts of allegiance to other gods and to incline their hearts only to the Lord … We may fail Him, but He will never fail us.  When God ordains our service, He is morally obligated to see us through.”

 

Father, I know I ask You to help me remember a lot of what I read in my quiet times.  It just goes to show that daily immersion in Your word is necessary to fight back the attacks of Satan, and we can’t read it and forget it.  Left to our own devices, we will fail.  Help me to keep examining my life and to throw away any idols I find that divide my allegiance to You.

 

Your Brother in Christ,

 

Gary Ford