March 16-17

Choose this day who you will serve........

Have you ever made a commitment to the Lord at camp or an old fashioned revival, or at church? My mother used to tell me that I needed to 'turn over a new leaf'. (Now that I turned out pretty decent, she forgets that she ever had to say that.) I think that these are very important decisions but they are just begining steps. Each new day, you must make the decision.......choose this day who will serve.

The Israelites joyfully and repeatedly confirmed their decision. But it quickly fell apart on the obedience end of it. They didn't get rid of the pagen population like they were instructed. I'm sure that they were overwhelmed with emotion, just having seen incredible victories at the hand of the Lord and getting to settle in their new areas after their families had wandered for 40 years. For generations their forfathers had known nothing but either slavery or wandering. And now they were about to settle in a land flowing with milk and honey and live in cities their hands had not built.

But somewhere in the 'daily' of life......things started to slide. Probably just a little at first. But we will read soon that they will be worshiping along with the pagans. Decisions have to be lived out in the 'daily' of life. And they have to be lived out in the often difficult decisions of obedience.

Ask me this day who I will serve! The Lord, Who made heaven and earth! But have stepped up to the latest obedience challenge you've been hit with yet? I have gotten some under my belt, so to speak, some are a continual struggle. And it doesn't get easier. I know older people who think they have it made because they are no longer tempted by the things they were in their youth. But if they were really, really growing there would be constant challenges.

Luckily along with each challenge that is successfully met comes a new level of joy unspeakable that is so strong that it just makes you grit your teeth and face the new challenges because you are NOT going to give up that intamate relationship with the Savior.

In the NT, the writer of Hebrews puts it in terms of a race (Heb 12:1-3)A star athlete doesn't let anything distract or entangle him. His one and only focus is whatever the race is in front of him. His life and training revolve around one thing. It's great to have the 'Who ya gonna serve' cheerleading sessions, but it's lived out day to day, decision by decision, step by step.........Not easy, but totally worth it.