1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,460 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:18,180 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,220 --> 00:00:23,710 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by Joshua 24, verse 15, which says, 5 00:00:25,110 --> 00:00:27,330 Speaker 1: And if it is evil in your eyes to serve 6 00:00:27,370 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve. whether 7 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the 8 00:00:34,659 --> 00:00:37,980 Speaker 1: river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land 9 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: you dwell. But as for me and my house, we 10 00:00:42,580 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: will serve the Lord. We all have the same amount 11 00:00:48,140 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: of hours in our day, and we can choose to 12 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: spend those hours in a variety of ways. We can 13 00:00:53,500 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: pour out our effort and energy toward the goal of 14 00:00:56,740 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: serving ourselves, or we can use our life to serve 15 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: the Lord. We can worship our own ambitions, or we 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: can worship the God who lovingly formed us in our 17 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: mother's wombs. Every generation is forced to make a choice 18 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,380 Speaker 1: as to whom they are going to direct their efforts, attention, 19 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: and worship toward. The people of ancient Israel had to 20 00:01:19,420 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: decide whether or not they were going to worship and 21 00:01:22,610 --> 00:01:25,650 Speaker 1: serve the Lord, or whether they were going to worship 22 00:01:25,709 --> 00:01:29,789 Speaker 1: and serve the false gods of their neighboring nations. We 23 00:01:29,830 --> 00:01:33,810 Speaker 1: need to wrestle with that same decision. When you came 24 00:01:33,850 --> 00:01:37,869 Speaker 1: to faith in Jesus Christ, you were welcomed into God's family. 25 00:01:38,490 --> 00:01:41,470 Speaker 1: You were blessed with His strength and a secure future. 26 00:01:42,330 --> 00:01:44,770 Speaker 1: Every day He gives you on this earth is another 27 00:01:44,830 --> 00:01:47,810 Speaker 1: day you can express your love toward Him and your 28 00:01:47,870 --> 00:01:52,010 Speaker 1: thankfulness for Him by choosing to serve Him with your life. 29 00:01:52,990 --> 00:01:56,390 Speaker 1: Don't waste the time He's blessed you with by chasing 30 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:03,470 Speaker 1: after false gods. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for 31 00:02:03,510 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: your word. And we thank you for the privilege that 32 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: it is to be able to read this portion of 33 00:02:07,620 --> 00:02:11,780 Speaker 1: Scripture together today from the book of Joshua. And Lord, 34 00:02:11,820 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: it's helpful to be able to think about the things 35 00:02:13,940 --> 00:02:16,060 Speaker 1: that are presented to us here in this portion of 36 00:02:16,139 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: Scripture because it creates a stark contrast between a worldly 37 00:02:21,330 --> 00:02:25,630 Speaker 1: and ungodly perspective and a perspective of worship toward you. 38 00:02:26,830 --> 00:02:29,929 Speaker 1: We know that in Joshua's day, He was presenting a 39 00:02:30,030 --> 00:02:33,070 Speaker 1: challenge before the people of Israel, and he was telling 40 00:02:33,090 --> 00:02:35,690 Speaker 1: them it was time to decide whether they were going 41 00:02:35,730 --> 00:02:38,250 Speaker 1: to worship you or whether they were going to worship 42 00:02:38,389 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: false gods. And Lord, just as they had to make 43 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,580 Speaker 1: that decision in their generation, we have to make the 44 00:02:44,620 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: same decision in ours. So Father, we're grateful for the 45 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,540 Speaker 1: fact that when we come to faith in your Son, 46 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:54,930 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, we are welcomed into your family. You bless 47 00:02:54,970 --> 00:02:57,829 Speaker 1: us with your strength. You give us a secure future. 48 00:02:58,570 --> 00:03:01,669 Speaker 1: and you provide us with many opportunities to express our 49 00:03:01,750 --> 00:03:05,430 Speaker 1: love toward you and our thankfulness for you. So, Father, 50 00:03:05,490 --> 00:03:07,810 Speaker 1: we pray that we would choose to serve you with 51 00:03:07,910 --> 00:03:10,460 Speaker 1: our lives. We pray that we would not waste the 52 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,540 Speaker 1: time you've blessed us with by serving false gods or 53 00:03:13,580 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: being confused by the priorities of this world. We want 54 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,340 Speaker 1: to live for you. We want to honor you. We 55 00:03:20,410 --> 00:03:22,650 Speaker 1: want to do that in our individual lives, and we 56 00:03:22,730 --> 00:03:25,210 Speaker 1: also want to do that in how we lead and 57 00:03:25,270 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: direct our households. So again, Father, we thank you for 58 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,290 Speaker 1: this challenge that was laid out for us very clearly 59 00:03:32,350 --> 00:03:35,330 Speaker 1: in this portion of Scripture. And by your grace, we 60 00:03:35,370 --> 00:03:37,290 Speaker 1: pray that we would also be able to say, but 61 00:03:37,430 --> 00:03:41,510 Speaker 1: as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 62 00:03:42,490 --> 00:03:47,140 Speaker 1: We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.