Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from The Foundry Publishing of The Global Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Time to Decide" by Mary Egidio for Tuesday, 20 November 2018 RG112018 Joshua 24:11-22

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from The Foundry Publishing of The Global Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Time to Decide" by Mary Egidio for Tuesday, 20 November 2018 RG112018 Joshua 24:11-22
Joshua 24:11 Next you crossed the Yarden and came to Yericho. The men of Yericho fought against you — the Emori, P’rizi, Kena‘ani, Hitti, Girgashi, Hivi and Y’vusi — and I handed them over to you. 12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, driving them out from ahead of you, the two kings of the Emori — it wasn’t by your sword or your bow. 13 Then I gave you a land where you had not worked and cities you had not built, and you live there. You eat fruit from vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
14 “Therefore fear Adonai, and serve him truly and sincerely. Put away the gods your ancestors served beyond the [Euphrates]River and in Egypt, and serve Adonai! 15 If it seems bad to you to serve Adonai, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living? As for me and my household, we will serve Adonai!”
16 The people answered, “Far be it from us that we would abandon Adonai to serve other gods; 17 because it is Adonai our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from a life of slavery, and did those great signs before our eyes, and preserved us all along the way we traveled and among all the peoples we passed through; 18 and it was Adonai who drove out from ahead of us all the peoples, the Emori living in the land. Therefore we too will serve Adonai, for he is our God.”
19 Y’hoshua said to the people, “You can’t serve Adonai; because he is a holy God, a jealous God, and he will not forgive your crimes and sins. 20 If you abandon Adonai and serve foreign gods, he will turn, doing you harm and destroying you after he has done you good.”
21 But the people said to Y’hoshua, “No, but we will serve Adonai.”
22 Y’hoshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Adonai, to serve him.”
They answered, “We are witnesses.”
(Complete Jewish Bible).
If it seems bad to you to serve Adonai, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living? As for me and my household, we will serve Adonai!” (Joshua 24:15).
The human heart is a complex system of unique muscles, valves, nerves, and blood vessels. It operates by a precise series of electrical impulses, which cause muscles to contract and valves to open and shut, sending life-giving blood throughout the body. Doctors know that when any part of the heart ceases to function properly, the entire body is at risk.
Joshua wanted to make sure the spiritual hearts of the people were functioning properly. Did they truly desire to serve the Lord with everything they possessed, or had they been corrupted by the false God's embraced by the inhabitants of their new land? Would they put God’s plan at risk with their disobedience? Joshua was asking the question, “Where is your heart? Whom will you serve?” He knew beyond a doubt that his own heart was totally surrendered to God and His service, no matter the circumstances.
How about you? Is it time to check your heart? Is it completely surrendered to its Creator? Or is your heart divided by other distractions? Choose whom you will serve.
Hymn for Today: "All for Jesus" by Mary D. James
1. All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
All my being's ransom'd pow'rs;
All my tho'ts and words and doings,
All my days and all my hours.
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
All my days and all my hours;
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
All my days and all my hours.
2. Let my hands perform His bidding;
Let my feet run in His ways.
Let my eyes see Jesus only;
Let my lips speak forth His praise.
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
Let my lips speak forth His praise;
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
Let my lips speak forth His praise.
3. Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I've lost sight of all beside;
So enchained my spirit's vision,
Looking at the Crucified.
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
Looking at the Crucified;
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
Looking at the Crucified.
4. O what wonder! how amazing!
Jesus, glorious King of kings,
Deigns to call me His beloved,
Lets me rest beneath His wings.
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
Resting now beneath His wings;
All for Jesus! all for Jesus!
Resting now beneath His wings.
Thought for Today: He told him, “‘You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’[Matthew 22:37 Deuteronomy 6:5] (Matthew 22:37).
Please pray: For the peace of God to comfort, encourage, and equip His people in Mesoamerica in their times of sorrow, discouragement, and need.
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