DECISIONS

I can only speak for myself but it does seem to me as though I am constantly making “decisions”. Each morning I have to decide what I am going to wear, what shirt will look all right with the pants I have selected to wear. Life goes on like this all day; “decisions” “decisions” and more “decisions”!

There is one “decision” that everyone must make and this “decision” will determine how and where you will spend eternity. We must make a “decision” as to whom we will serve: (Josh 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." We don’t have a very broad choice; we can either select Satan or God. The choice that we read of in Joshua is the choice that I would recommend “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord”. Let us also remember that this is a “decision” that you must make yourself; no one can make it for you!

Joshua also gives some very good advice as to how we are to serve God: (Josh 24:14) "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD." We notice the first bit of advice given here is to “fear the Lord”. Friends, if we don’t fear the Lord there is a good chance that we won’t obey Him; let alone serve Him. Next we are advised to “serve Him in sincerity”. In other words we must not serve God just for show or to please someone; we serve him because we love him and desire to serve him; we cannot be a hypocrite! Then we find that we are to serve God “in truth”. The only way this can be accomplished is to serve God as he has instructed in His Holy Word, we must do what God has commanded us to do and nothing else, we can’t add to or take away: (Rev 22:18) “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:" Finally, Joshua informs us that we may not be able to serve the same god that our father served. We must serve Jehovah God and him only.

We prove to God that we have made the “decision” to serve him by keeping His commandments: (Neh 10:29) "They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;" We must walk in God’s law and we must make the “decision” to do “all the commandments of the Lord”. We are not given the liberty to pick and choose which commandment we will keep. We must decide to obey every single commandment our Lord has given us.

Do you remember your school days when you played dodge ball and sides [or teams] were picked? This was a very important time for us then and we should also consider it important today as to whose side we decide to be on. Moses once asked the people whose side they were on: (Exo 32:26) “Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him." Yes, I remember as each captain of the team called out a name how that person would go and join the team. Moses is doing the same thing here, he says, “If you are on the Lord’s side come over here and join the team”. Have you made the “decision” to join the Lord’s side?

Have you made the “decision” to follow God fully [I.e. completely]? Many examples can be found throughout the Bible; one example is that of Caleb: (Num 14:24) "But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it." We need to be aware that God will not except or approve anything else. Perhaps you are thinking I cannot do that, it is more than I am capable of doing. The way I look at this is if Caleb could do it, then so can you and I.

May we make the decision each day to follow the Lord by keeping his commandments and to serve him fully.