A Fundamental Choice!

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 (d).

Every person has a fundamental choice to make. That is this. Whom will they serve in their life? Joshua, the mighty leader of the nation of Israel, is giving a choice to the people in the above verse. There is no doubt about his decision. He already made up his mind. He decided to serve the living LORD in heaven. However, the people in His days were wavering in their minds about who should they serve. The condition is the same even today. 

Listen! God who made the heavens and earth cannot be likened to an image or an idol. God gives breath and life to all. He made all humanity from one man and determined all seasons and matters of this world and rules overall.

The choice we face today is this -we can stand in front of man-made idols and bow down, who never speak a word or have any feelings toward us. Why? They are made and crafted by human hands. They are the works of people’s hands because people make idols. They do not have a life. They cannot save you nor destroy you. However, the creator God who created all is the one true and living God. He is different and separate from us. Bible says in Psalm 115, “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; yes they have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.”

Joshua says they have a fundamental choice to make. Either they can serve the gods of their ancestors beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land they are living now, or they can serve the creator God who created all from nothing. 

Joshua reminded them their father, Abraham, was called by the living God when he lived in Ur of the Chaldees, an ancient city of Mesopotamia. The gods of his ancestors were human-made idols fashioned and styled by people. Abraham responded to God’s call and came out of such a place filled with idols and images and followed and served the living God and became a great blessing. Later in his line the savior of the world, Jesus Christ, was born. (Genesis 12).

The living and only one creator God is the one who created the heavens and the earth, the one who created human beings from the dust of the earth and breathed into their nostrils to make them alive, the one who talked to us through the pages of the Bible via prophets in the olden times, the one who finally spoke to us in these last days in and through the person of Jesus Christ, the one who offered a solution for our basic problem- the problem of sin-that hindered our fellowship and friendship with Him, the one who sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, for the solution of our problems, to die in our place for our sins and iniquities and who was buried and risen again and rescued and saved us from all our sins and granted eternal life in heaven forever and ever.

God has compassion, mercy, and love toward you. Idols and human-made gods have no feelings or love for you. They do not care about you a bit. God does not want you to be perished by serving them and wasting all of your life. Bible says, this only and true God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. He loves us, and that is why He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to this world to save men from the power of sin. That is why Jesus died in your place for your sake. He paid it all for you.

I hope you will choose to serve the living, creator God who loved by sending His only bettors Son for you to give you a bright hope and future. You have a lovely future waiting for you if you come to Christ now in a small prayer.

This choice is going to be the most critical decision you would ever make on this side of eternity. It is very sad that even certain groups of Christianity influenced by surrounding idol worship began making idols and images for worship, the practice which is strictly prohibited by God Himself in Exodus 20:4 and in other Bible verses. 

Got a moment for today’s prayer? “Father in heaven, I acknowledge you as the creator God who loves me and provide a way so that I can be in fellowship and friendship with you. I believe Jesus Christ died, buried, and rose again because He loved me and died for my sins. I accept Him as my savior and Lord. Lord, I want to serve you for the rest of my life. This is my decision- I have decided to follow Jesus and serve Him in my life. Bless me and my household. In Christ’s name, I pray, Amen.”