“If you have no desire to worship the LORD, choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the LORD!" (Net Bible) Joshua 24:15)
This is a beautiful affirmation and decision of faith by Joshua in the Bible. This verse expresses the heart yearning of a great spiritual leader. In these simple words we find the will of God expressly stated. When the children of Israel moved into the Promised Land, they were getting ready to set up their homes as permanent places rather than living in tents that would be taken down and moved every few days or weeks. Their leader, Joshua, issued a strong challenge to the Israelite families. As Joshua prepared the children of Israel for the land of Canaan he made it very clear his predominant priority: “Joshua said unto all the people … choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. Here is the story of a man, who made a decision that not only changed his life, but it changed the life of a nation and it changed the destiny of a people. From the beginning of his leadership Joshua was willing to stand by his faith against the greatest of odds to serve God. (Numbers 14: 6-10) It is clear that Joshua took the lead in his life and household. There are many choices that we can make; however, one that is absolutely vital is to serve the Lord. We can choose to have our false gods or we can choose to walk with the Almighty God.
Life is a series of choices. We make choices every day. Some decisions have far reaching consequences and other decisions are not so far reaching. But our Choices determine the character, direction, destiny and eternity of our life. God has given us the power of choice. Thus learning what to choose, and how to choose, may be the most important knowledge we will ever receive. Of all the choices we face in our life, there is one that is of eternal consequence. It is a choice to know God or ignore God. And the writer of Proverbs over and over warns us about depending upon man's wisdom rather than seeking God's wisdom when making decisions. Proverbs 28:26 says "He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe." Your life isn't an accident. You have a destiny, one that only you can complete. The Bible says, “Your eyes saw me when I was only a fetus. Every day [of my life] was recorded in your book before one of them had taken place.” (Psalm 139:16 GWT). Bible declares “You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail. (Proverbs 19:21NLT)
We all were born for a purpose and with a purpose. Everyone on this planet was born to fulfill a God given purpose. Our personal fulfillment is possible only in so far as we complete our destiny. So fulfilling our purpose must be our primary goal in our life. We will be held accountable for what we do while we are here in this world and on this earth. We must realize that our fulfillment in this life is dependent on our becoming and doing what we were born to be and do. When we discover God's purpose for our life, we can be confident and persuaded that we will succeed. Therefore anyone who chooses to ignore God has made a wrong choice and hence he is not wise; His foolish choice invariably leads him to corrupt and vile deeds. This is why James 3:13 says “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” Proverbs 2:6 says “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” To decide not to choose is a choice. In other words— to decide not to choose good is always a choice to choose evil.
Viktor Frankl in his book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” describes the reactions of two brothers with the same heredity, the same environment, in the same concentration camp under the Nazis. One became a saint and the other a swine. Frankl tells us the reason why. He said, “Each man has within him the power to choose how he will react to any given situation.” Some people today do not wish to accept the responsibility for their actions. They blame society. They blame the environment. They blame the government. They blame the circumstances. But Adam sinned in a perfect environment under perfect circumstances. We can’t blame it all on somebody else. We must accept the blame ourselves for our part. Society is made up of individuals. If we have social injustice, we’re the ones who are wrong; we’re part of it. Let’s accept our responsibility to do something about it. One of the most beautiful things about life is you can make your life better and influential by your right choice. No matter what situation you are in, you have a choice. No matter how bad things are, you have a choice. No matter what you think you can or cannot do, you have a choice.
George Eliot said "The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice." Albert Einstein whispered “God did not create evil. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God.” The antidote to ignorance is knowledge. Knowledge comes through truth, and truth brings liberation. The end result of your life here on earth will always be the sum totals of the choices you make while you are here. When God commanded Adam not to take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, He was showing him what choice he should make. God wanted him to choose life, not death. Much later, when God brought Israel out of Egypt, He gave them a similar choice:
“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
A decision to serve the Lord demands integrity, dedication and discipline: Joshua said to people““Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14ESV).
A decision to follow God means a decision formed with a commitment of “sincerity and truth.” This means to serve wholeheartedly, to serve with faithfulness. We need to be aware that our decisions have consequences good or bad not only upon ourselves but also upon other people. A selfish decision affects our families in negative ways. Likewise, a decision to serve God influences our families positively. Just like Joshua had provided a good example for his family to follow God, every believer ought to make a similar statement to the family the Lord has given him. Though Joshua could set the example, he could not make the choice for them; the people had to choose for themselves. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Jesus said …., “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6). Without spiritual enlightenment into the divine truth of Christ, all other knowledge ultimately means nothing. “It is never too late to do the right thing.” “It is your decisions, and not your position, that determine your destiny.” Jesus said, “Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.” (Matthew 12:30NLT). If you do not crown Jesus, you crucify Him. There is no middle ground. And the little decisions that we make determine our destiny. It’s choice – not chance – that determines your destiny
