🕊️ PRAY HERE Devotion 🕊️ Who Is YOUR House Serving?

Scripture: Joshua 24:15 KJV

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Devotion :

There are some decisions in life that you can sleep on, but there are others that you need to make haste and decide.

I know you have been hearing, “We are living in the last days,” all of your life.

But when you really think about it, your life is not that long. Especially when you measure our clock against the Lord’s.

2 Peter 3:8 says that to the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day.

So yes, we are living in the last days.

Do not cross your legs and get too comfortable. You have a choice to make.

Have you ever seen the Left Behind series of movies? I suggest you watch them. They depict people being confronted with the reality of Christ’s return after many had lived as though they had plenty of time to get themselves together.

Look around us.

Everything is unpredictable.

Wars.

Violence.

Hatred.

Confusion.

Sickness.

Destruction.

People are becoming increasingly comfortable with things that are contrary to God.

Evil is becoming more bold, and people are growing more and more evil; just like the Bible says.

Whewww! 😮‍💨

WE NEED A SAVIOR! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

And this is not the time to be undecided about whether you are going to serve Him.

Let’s look at today’s text and read it together.

There was a lot going on around the time of Joshua’s speech. It was within the broad transition from the Late Bronze Age toward the Iron Age in the ancient Near East.

Hmmmm…

Not a very long time ago on the Lord’s calendar. 😮‍💨

And not only were they living through changing times, but they were surrounded by conflict, local warfare, competing nations, different cultures, and different gods.

Joshua gathered the entire nation of Israel together at Shechem.

From the highest leaders and officials to the everyday citizens.

Everybody needed to be there and hear this.

Joshua was old and nearing the end of his life, but he knew that without strong spiritual leadership, the people could easily lose their way.

God will always speak to His people. 🙏🏽

Joshua reminded them of what God had already done.

God called Abraham.

God delivered Israel from Egypt.

God brought them through the wilderness.

God fought for them.

God protected them.

God provided for them.

God gave them land they had not labored for and cities they had not built.

GOD HAD BEEN GOOD TO THEM!

Yet even after everything God had done, there were still temptations around them to worship false gods.

My, my, my!

Doesn’t that sound familiar?

God can bless people.

Deliver them.

Protect them.

Answer their prayers.

Open doors.

Make ways.

Bring them through things they thought would destroy them…

And they will STILL struggle with whether they are going to completely serve Him!

Whewwww!

So Joshua finally brings them to a decision.

He basically tells them:

IF YOU THINK SERVING THE LORD IS EVIL , IF YOU THINK SERVING HIM IS TOO HARD OR TOO DIFFICULT FOR YOU , THEN PICK A SIDE TODAY!

😮‍💨🔥

That is the seriousness of his message to them.

Joshua said:

“Choose you THIS DAY whom ye will serve.”

Not next year.

Not after you get older.

Not after you finish having your fun.

Not after you get married.

Not after you have children.

Not after you accomplish everything you want to accomplish.

Not after something terrible happens and suddenly you need God.

THIS DAY.

Who are you going to serve?

Are you going to serve these other false gods?

Or are you going to serve the ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD?

In other words…

GET OFF THE FENCE!

Whewwww! 😮‍💨

You cannot go to church as if you are serving God and then serve the gods of this world the other six days of the week.

You are riding the fence.

You cannot shout “Hallelujah!” on Sunday and intentionally live completely contrary to God Monday through Saturday.

You cannot sing “I surrender all” while refusing to surrender anything that interferes with what YOU want.

You cannot call Jesus Lord while refusing to let Him lead you.

You cannot keep saying, “God knows my heart,” while knowingly giving your heart, loyalty, obedience, time, and devotion to everything except Him.

At some point…

YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE.

And sisters and brothers, we still have false gods today.

They just look different.

Money can become your god.

Your career can become your god.

A relationship can become your god.

Sex can become your god.

Popularity can become your god.

Social media can become your god.

Your children can become your god.

Your own desires can become your god.

YOU can become your own god when everything revolves around what you want instead of what God says.

Anything that receives the devotion, obedience, sacrifice, loyalty, and priority that belongs to God can become an idol.

And here is something else we need to understand:

Choosing not to choose is STILL a choice.

WHEWWWW! 🤯

Sitting on the fence does not make you neutral.

Joshua was demanding a decision.

And then he made his own decision crystal clear:

“BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🔥🔥🔥

Joshua wasn’t waiting to see what everybody else decided.

He wasn’t taking a poll.

He wasn’t checking what was popular.

He wasn’t concerned about whether serving God was culturally acceptable.

He knew what his house was going to do.

WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!

Now bring this Scripture home.

Literally.

Who is YOUR house serving?

What is being taught in your house?

What is being tolerated?

What is being celebrated?

What has the greatest influence?

What do your children see?

Do they see you pray?

Do they see you reading God’s Word?

Do they see you depending on God when trouble comes?

Do they hear you talking about Jesus outside of church?

Or does everybody get dressed, go to church, come home…

and God is basically forgotten until next Sunday?

Whewwww! 😮‍💨

Serving God should come HOME with us.

Your family should know:

“In THIS house, we pray.”

“In THIS house, we honor God.”

“In THIS house, we read His Word.”

“In THIS house, we forgive.”

“In THIS house, when we are wrong, we repent.”

“In THIS house, Jesus is Lord.”

“AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!”

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🔥

But when I ask, “Who Is YOUR House Serving?” I also want you to think about another house.

The house of God where you choose to worship.

Who is that house serving?

👀 Whewww!

Is Jesus being lifted up?

Is the Word of God being taught in truth?

Are people being called to repentance?

Are souls being led to Christ?

Are people growing spiritually?

Is the Holy Spirit welcomed?

Is God receiving the glory?

Or has the house become about personalities, titles, money, entertainment, popularity, status, social clout, and making people famous?

Just because “church” is written on the building does not mean we should stop using spiritual discernment.

Who is that house serving?

My, my, my!

Joshua’s question is still alive and relevant today:

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO SERVE?

And this is personal.

Your mama cannot make this decision for you.

Your daddy cannot make it for you.

Your spouse cannot make it for you.

Your pastor cannot make it for you.

Your children cannot make it for you.

YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE.

And please understand the urgency.

You don’t know how long you have.

None of us do.

So stop putting off a decision concerning eternity as though tomorrow has been promised to you.

If you know you are riding the fence…

GET OFF.

If you know your heart has wandered away from God…

COME BACK.

If you know something has become more important to you than God…

PUT IT BACK IN ITS PROPER PLACE.

If you have never truly surrendered your life to Jesus…

TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO DO IT.

👏🏽🙌🏽

God loves you enough to give you an opportunity to choose Him.

His mercy is giving you an opportunity right now.

Don’t waste it.

Don’t assume you’ll always have another Sunday.

Another altar call.

Another devotion.

Another warning.

Another opportunity to say yes.

Choose you THIS DAY whom ye will serve.

And as for me?

AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD! 🙌🏽🔥

Reflect & Respond

This is not a reflection question to answer quickly and keep scrolling.

Really examine your life.

Who are YOU serving?

Now examine your home.

Who is YOUR HOUSE serving?

What has the greatest influence there?

What needs to leave?

What needs to change?

What needs to come in?

And are you trying to maintain a relationship with God while still holding onto gods of this world?

Be honest.

You have a decision to make.

Don’t make it someday.

CHOOSE TODAY.

Prayer :

Father God, today I hear Your Word, and I choose You.

Forgive me for every time I have tried to ride the fence. Forgive me for professing You with my mouth while allowing other things to receive the devotion, obedience, and priority that belong to You.

Lord, expose every idol in my heart.

If money has become my god, reveal it.

If a relationship has become my god, reveal it.

If success, popularity, pleasure, possessions, or even my own desires have become more important than obeying You, show me and help me change.

I don’t want to play with my salvation.

I don’t want to live halfway surrendered.

I don’t want to keep postponing a decision that I need to make today.

Jesus, I choose You.

Be Lord over my heart.

Be Lord over my decisions.

Be Lord over my family.

Be Lord over my home.

Let prayer live in my house.

Let Your Word live in my house.

Let Your presence live in my house.

Let obedience, repentance, forgiveness, love, and worship live in my house.

Give me the courage to stand for You even when everybody around me chooses differently.

And let my declaration become more than words hanging on my wall.

Let it become the way I actually live:

AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏🏽🔥💙