Devotion (Josh. 24:19-28)

11/27/2009 10:30 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  Devotion

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Joshua 24:19-28

            Message of the verses:  “19  Then Joshua said to the people, "You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. 20  "If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you." 21  The people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD." 22  Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses." 23  "Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." 24  The people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God and we will obey His voice." 25  So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26  And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27  Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be for a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us; thus it shall be for a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God." 28  Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance.”

            Joshua seems to be very hard on this second generation that came out of Egypt because he knew that the first generation had said the same thing that they would serve the Lord, and in a few weeks they were worshiping a golden calf.  One has to get rid of their foreign idols in order to be true to the Lord all of their life.  Joshua finished his speech to the people and believed that they would serve the Lord, and this generation did serve the Lord, but after that the children of Israel would begin to turn away from the Lord as I will see in the next book to be studied, which is the book of Judges.  There is one more entry in the SD’s on the book of Joshua and that will be tomorrows, and perhaps there will be a summary lesson added to that I will have to see.

            Joshua set up another stone in Shechem, and this is the ninth time that stones were set up as a memorial in the book of Joshua.  Memorials are fine to use in the Church area as long as they do not turn into idols.  The snake that was used for the children of Israel to look at and be healed latter became an idol, and this kind of thing can happen if one does not serve the Lord with all of their heart.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service today.
2. Put on the spiritual armor:  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. 

11/27/2009 11:07 AM