“… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15, NKJV)
There are characters of the Bible that stand out because they stood up! Joshua, who from his younger days as a slave in Egypt … through the wandering days of the wilderness … to becoming the man God wanted to lead His people into the Land of Canaan … is one of those men!
I suppose at different times in our lives, we have thought within ourselves and perhaps even expressed it verbally to family, friends and maybe even in Bible Class … that if we could be anyone or like anyone in the Bible … it would be …
My primary choice other than being more like the Savior of all mankind would be the man named Joshua! He was a man’s man in every way … he was the people’s man of leadership … he was the prophet of God for a crucial time in history … he was a man who chose to “walk with God” throughout the entirety of his life, some 110 years.
The “Joshua Plaque” as it is referred to so often in catalogs, bookstores, etc. has become a very popular addition to the walls of many homes. Perhaps you already have one hanging somewhere in your home where it can be seen by all! If not, I am not an interior decorator by any means, but it would make a wonderful addition to your home!
But is it just a beautiful quotation on a beautiful piece of wood or painted canvas to be admired and collect dust … or is it more? Joshua, the great leader, warrior, and servant of God was reaching the sunset of his illustrious life and he had some things to say to all of the people before he passed from this life!
So every time you see this beautiful challenge displayed on your wall or on someone else’s … you need to call to your mind the setting and relevance of what and why he said what he said!
Just as Moses had done before his life was to come to an end when he reminded the people of all that the Lord had done for them as His people … Joshua with clarity and unencumbered vision also reminds the people that it was the Most High God who had delivered them from Egyptian bondage, through the dry land of the seafloor of the Red Sea, and through their wilderness wanderings, across the dry bottom of the Jordan River and into the Land of Canaan!
These words from this man who clearly “walked with God” must have been so sobering, so meaningful … so realistic … so reassuring … so awesome … that surely they would never forget them!
Joshua would remind them of these three things:
It is God who brought us here!
It is God who provides and protects us here!
It is God who will lead us on from here!
Like the words to the song My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less … our lives and any hope for the future here and in eternity are founded on the truths of God, Jesus Christ and their words inspired and delivered through the appointed writers (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Matthew 7:24-27)! Ignorance of the truth will be no exception.
God had been loyal and faithful and trustworthy to them … their loyalty and faithfulness were to be a show of gratitude in the present and in the future! Is it any different for us today?
To make sure there would be no misunderstanding on their part regarding God’s expectations … Joshua calls for full commitment on their part to the Most High! And that is exactly what each one of us is called upon to be! Be the most faithful, courageous, and trustworthy servant in the kingdom that you can become by God’s grace and mercy!
You see … just as they were His chosen people then … His “special treasure” … they were given a choice to make … would they choose Him … would He become their special treasure!
And here is why the “Joshua Plaque” requires such attention from us today! Joshua has told them to make a choice right then and there to decide this day what you will do with God! But he says for me and my family, the decision has already been made, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Every day of our lives brings with it choices to be made … between good and evil … between right and wrong!
Without a doubt, we are living in turbulent, troubling, and trying times! The greatest danger is not that you will lose your job, or your health, or even your friends and family, but that you might lose your faith and then lose your soul!
Perhaps, the proper question to ask is this: Are we willing to live the truth of this statement out in our homes, families and our lives? We must each make the call!
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
P.S Don’t forget about reading God’s Word with your family!
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