Daily Verse Devo - Joshua 24:15

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

- Joshua 24:15 (ESV)

In this chapter, Joshua gathered leaders of the tribes of Israel to deliver a message from the Lord. God reminded His people of His promise to Abraham, their delivery from slavery, and the other miraculous things He did for them.

At the end, Joshua urged the men to put away their idols. He charged them to choose who they would serve.

The men all agreed to serve God and put away their idols. Joshua and the men made a covenant before God vowing to serve Him alone. While the nation would inevitably return to idols, their declaration at this point in time was honorable.

Joshua's declaration that he and his household would serve the Lord has become extremely popular in Christian homes. We have a small banner with this in my house and I've seen wall art at Christian bookstores or in other homes.

While the phrase can lose meaning when it becomes wall art, I don't think it should. To make the meaning more personal, here's a story about Raymon.

Raymon and his wife were raising two toddler boys during the Great Depression. They were a normal family for the most part, but Raymon smoked and drank frequently.

After a church service, Raymon felt convicted and accepted the Lord as his savior. From that moment forward, he declared that his home would be a Christian home. There would be no more smoking or drinking from then on.

By the next decade, my grandma and her sister were born. They hadn't known the alcoholic side of their dad, but reaped from the benefits of a Christian home. Their dad became a pastor. My grandma's eldest brother was an evangelist and with her other brother and sister, they formed a trio and sang at revivals across the state.

When the family got a TV, Raymon would make the girls turn off the TV during every cigarette or alcohol commercial. This was in the days before remotes and these commercials were a dime a dozen.

My grandma told me this story several times when I was growing up. Because of her upbringing, she raised her children on these values. Raymon's decision in the 1930s influenced my growing up in the faith seven decades later.

Now, I know not everyone was raised in a Christian home. It is a blessing to be surrounded by God's truth, but one important thing to note is that salvation is a personal choice.

Having Christian parents or grandparents won't save you. Growing up without Christian influence doesn't mean you can't come to know Jesus. Salvation is between you and God.

While it's great for a family to declare their allegiance to God, every member of that family must decide whether or not they will live for God.

I'm still learning how to stand on my own faith. While I value the godly examples around me, my personal faith has to be strong to make it through life.

Do you have stories about how growing up in a Christian home has impacted your life?

Or maybe how you found God despite a rough upbringing?

When and how did you come to salvation?

How has making your faith personal helped your life?

I'd love to hear your stories. :)

#servingGod #house #family #legacy