“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” — Joshua 24:14-15a (NKJV)

In the last days of Joshua’s life, he admonished the tribes of Israel concerning all that God has done for them, and their responsibility (or reasonable service, Romans 12:1) to honor God through their obedient service. A multi-faceted admonition that still applies to all Christians today.

Joshua first tells Israel to “fear the Lord”, not merely the reverence or respect that many claim, but to be in fear of what God is capable of doing. It seems to me highly unlikely that one could have enough reverence for God to seek to avoid His wrath; conversely, being afraid of His wrath will produce a healthy respect for God’s commands, which leads us to obedient service.

Joshua then demands that the Israelites put away their false gods and serve the Lord, calling on them to choose whom they will serve. Joshua’s instructions to Israel to “choose” places upon them all of the responsibility of choosing wisely whom they will honor with their service. The phrase, “this day” indicates (for us) that there is a sense of urgency in the necessity of choosing, the Holy Spirit has just lifted up a corner of the shroud covering the New Testament era, and allowed us to see far into the future when mankind would be offered salvation on a personal, and time critical level.

Joshua’s words require that those choosing to serve the lord, do so with integrity, serving no other gods, and not wavering in their commitment. Requirements that are nearly absent from those who serve in church today; and that might be the root of the problem. It is very easy to serve the local church and be far removed from serving the lord in “sincerity and truth”. Just as it is too often the case that we are not surrendered to God, even though we serve in His church.

Now is the time to drive a stake in the ground and faithfully serve God, not allowing worldliness to cause us to depart from being and doing as we ought.

Rev. Bobby Thornhill is a retired pastor.