Gifts from One Who is faithful

Let's look at two verses today, shall we? You can get a clue from the lil fella up there . . .

He gives the snow like wool    and scatters the frost like ashes. (Psalm 147:16)

As the rain and the snow    come down from heaven,and do not return to it    without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

The first verse up there conjures up images of sheep shearing time in the ancient world (or in today's world, too). Shearing hasn't changed much in the interim, it's still a process of coaxing a relaxed sheep to turn one way or another while a sharp tool separates most of the wool from the sheep. Usually about a quarter to half inch is left behind to protect the animal, and the fleece is often taken off in one piece, according to the skill of the shearer. Fleeces can weigh in at over twenty pounds, due to the natural lanolin in the wool -- God designed it so the sheep could repel water!
Back to our shearing . . . the fleeces sometimes pile up beside the shearer, as they work swiftly to get as many sheep sheared as possible before the setting of the sun. The wool is not as white as when it's been cleaned, but with the fibers flying through the air and the fleeces piled up, it's as if it were snowing in the shearing shed! I think perhaps the psalmist was referring to this when he said God gives the snow like wool . . .

Isaiah spoke in our next passage about the gifts of rain and snow from the Father. We may complain about the weather (and the forecasters' accuracy or lack of accuracy) but the rain and snow do accomplish important things. I have kinfolk who live on one of the high plateaus in Wyoming, and in that area and others, it's the rainfall and the snow pack that can sustain life. The area is basically arid much of the year, so the volume of rain and snow that God sends each year is not just a topic of conversation -  it's vital to the survival of wildlife, crops grown in the area, and the drinking water supply, too. Residents there hope and pray for a generous snow pack, so that as it melts the reservoirs will fill. Subsequent releases from the reservoirs will feed into the lakes and streams, and enable farmers to irrigate their fields; just as Isaiah said, the water will cause things to bud and flourish, yielding seed for the sower and bread for the hungry. Too warm a spring will cause a fast melt to the snow, with reservoirs inundated and a possible long, dry summer.

God designed all of this to work together; His gifts are many, and they come from His faithful heart. That fact -- His faithfulness -- can sustain us when other props are gone. It doesn't matter what else is going on in our lives; we can be facing stress, health problems, financial difficulties, marriage issues, children who make our hearts ache, the loss of someone we love, or any other pain, and God's love and faithfulness to us will never, ever end. Every day, He has a fresh supply of mercy for us. Everyone needs someone like that in our lives -- someone who will support us, stand by us, and stand their ground to defend us. Do we have someone loyal, trustworthy, constant, and reliable? Even if we have no one that we can point to here on earth, that is the kind of Friend that we have in Jesus Christ.

As believers, we have been adopted by a Father Who will never change His mind in regard to us; He will never write us off; He will never leave us or forsake us. He is the Friend Who sticks closer than a brother. He is faithful.
Remember when Moses was overwhelmed? Intimidated? He needed to be reassured about the massive assignment that he'd been given. He asked God of His credentials. He wanted to know His name. So God answered him with the name that is used by God for covenants: Yahweh, or "I AM." (Exodus 3:14) Think about what that name means.....God took the present tense of the verb "to be" and used it for His name. It totally expresses that God is eternal, but it also says that in His nature, His knowledge, His will, and His purposes, He always remains the same. God never changes.

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

He never changes. No one can oppose him    or stop him from doing what he wants to do. (Job 23:13)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

Yes, God is faithful. And He designs and gives gifts to His children. We'll talk more about this tomorrow.

Snow, shelters, and success, conclusion

When we paused yesterday, we'd said that there was much to do "in the valley." That the mountain-top experience, while amazing, was not where they could stay.
Sometimes we must remind ourselves that Jesus came to earth for the people.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 

 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,    because he has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners    and recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free,19     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)

Jesus quoted from Isaiah, and He gave the reason for His being here on earth..... He didn't come for the religious leaders, or the wealthy patriarchs. He came for the poor and the imprisoned; He came so that the silent could speak and the lame could walk. He was here to lift people from their poverty -- the poverty of body and soul.
He came because there were so many people who didn't understand the wonder of how God truly cares about us and our needs. Their spiritual lives were as dry as the dust on their sandals. He came to serve them. And that's why He couldn't let Peter, James, and John build shelters on the mountain. There was too much to do in the valley!
Worshiping on the mountain would have been great, but there was other "stuff" to do.
Now, don't get me wrong..... worship is vitally important to us as believers. But worship leads us to service. It was time for the disciples to come down off the mountain and engage -- time to get involved in the lives of people who needed healing of their hearts and souls. True success lies in service, and that flows out of a grateful, worshipful heart.
By today's standards, I guess the disciples and Jesus would not have seemed a success. But Jesus redefined success.....it's when we serve faithfully in the midst of people's needs.

How do we spell success?
What's important to us?
What are our goals in 2019?
Are we willing to come down off the mountain and get involved helping people who need Jesus?

Snow, shelters, and success

Here is our focus passage again:

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:2-7)

When we stopped yesterday, we mentioned that the Bible tells us that the three disciples who had been chosen to accompany Jesus to the mountain were so astonished, and so overwhelmed, that they didn't know what to say.
Many times, the best thing to do when you don't know what to say, is to say nothing at all. The fact that you're not sure is an indication that you should just not speak. Apparently, either Peter's mom didn't teach him that, or he just wasn't listening . . . so he blurted out, "Hey, it's great that we are here; we can make three shelters -- one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
I was reading in some of the commentaries and I guess the scholars feel there are two possible explanations.
It could have been that Peter was thinking about religious things and dreaming about the kingdom of God that Jesus was teaching them about. You see, during the Jewish harvest festival, which was also called the festival of booths, shelters were built as a symbol of the heavenly places where the righteous would dwell. The booths were visual symbols of where they'd be happy once they reached the heavenly kingdom. Maybe he was just dreaming and anticipating the Kingdom of God.

Or, maybe Peter was so caught up in the moment, that he didn't want it to end. Have you ever been in that situation? Perhaps it's a lovely family moment, where for once, everyone is in harmony and all is well. Certainly don't want that to end.... Or maybe it's in a church situation, and the spirit of revival is on the people, and there's worship and singing. Don't want that to end, either. Or maybe it's just us and the Lord. Maybe the Spirit is near, we feel a sweet peace, and we are aware of the special comfort of His love.
Maybe his thought was, if they erected those shelters to shade Jesus, Moses, and Elijah from the sun, they could linger for a time. The disciples could take pleasure and revel in the presence of these great and godly men.
Well, whatever Peter was thinking, they didn't get any kind of structures built, because a voice from heaven (the same voice that had spoken when Jesus was baptized) spoke, and then Moses and Elijah disappeared.
The three men were left alone with Jesus.
That wonderful, awe-inspiring, mountain-top moment was done.
This next phrase from verse 9 is all-important to our understanding:

As they were coming down the mountain... (Mark 9:9a)

Yes, the mountain-top experience was wonderful, but Jesus knew that they couldn't stay there. It was tempting to bask in it, to discuss it, to ponder its meaning. Jesus knew that they had to come down to the valley. Down to the people who so desperately needed to hear His message.

We all need times like that. We all benefit from being inspired, enlightened, excited, and fired up. We need that refreshment and invigoration.
But, as wonderful as it is, that is not where success lies.
Oh, I "get" that they could have used this. They could have promoted this. The marketing side of the world's viewpoint says some slick advertising could have made them the center of attention. The right word here and there and the world would have been at their feet. This would be success with a capital S, and in neon lights, and blinking!
But I believe Jesus is saying something totally different. He is telling us that we need to come off the mountain to the valley -- meet people where real needs are, and help them.

Moses and Elijah appeared that day on the mountain, and they helped to remind the disciples that they were part of a long line of faith that included Moses, the Law, and the prophets. Jesus' outward appearance changed before their eyes, and served to remind them that they were in the presence of God. They were able to look into the transformed face of Jesus and see God's glory.
But there was no staying on the mountain.
No booths.
No lingering.
There was just too much to be done, down in the valley.
More next time......

Snow, shelters, and success?

Here's our focus passage for this week; read with me, won't you?

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. (Mark 9:2-8, NIV)

We've talked about snow lately; today we're going to bring in shelters, and also success. I know it sounds a bit daft, but hang in there with me, OK?

What do we think of, in Christian circles, when we say the word "success"? Do we think of increasing membership? Of a rise in baptisms? Do we think of the mega-church that we see in our town or on the television? A church or ministry with a large number of buses and lots of meetings and events?
Many times that is what we think. We see a ministry with a large budget or huge attendance numbers, with a broadcast outlet, with books being published, and then we think, "Wow, what a success!"
But let's stop a minute. If that is how we identify success, then Jesus looks like a failure in comparison.
Let's face it, if He'd wanted to, He could have organized a huge center of learning and religious discourse in Jerusalem. It could have had some important, high-sounding name, and could have drawn students and religious leaders from all over the world. Who wouldn't have wanted to study from Jesus in the shadow of the temple?
But that's not how He did things.
He wandered (in our eyes, since we were not privy to His plans) about the region, and taught wherever He found someone to talk to. Didn't have to be a large gathering - many times He taught one on one. He never really had a "home base" or a place to lay His head. He found twelve ordinary, work-for-a-living guys and taught them what He wanted them to know. He was known as a carpenter's son and as a rabbi from a small town.
Here's another example: Paul. Well, at the time he wrote about, he was Saul. He told the Philippians how things were before his conversion:

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. (Philippians 3:4b-6)

Here's what Paul was saying . . . his family heritage was exemplary; His "Jewishness" was unblemished; his loyalty to the faith of his fathers was unchallenged; and his abilities to work for the Jewish religious community was second-to-none. He went about, ferreting out the believers and persecuting them mightily. Probably if they'd had a dictionary of the faith back then, his picture would have been there when you looked up the word "success."
But Paul learned to define success differently.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Philippians 3:7-9)

Paul is reminding us that success is found in following our Savior, Jesus Christ, not in accumulating achievements, worldly honor, or riches.

One day during His walk on this earth, Jesus took Peter, James, and John along with Him and they all climbed a mountain north of the Sea of Galilee. Three of Jesus' most trusted friends. I bet they were so happy to be chosen to go with Him.
Once on the summit, they witnessed His Transfiguration, that is to say, His outward appearance changed. Mark says that Jesus changed right before their eyes - that His clothes became dazzling white, as bright as the snow. And if that wasn't enough of a shock, Jesus was joined by Moses and Elijah!
The disciples were so astonished, and so overwhelmed, that they didn't know what they should say.

We'll pick up our story again next time we meet.....

Friday slowdown

One day, we'll look back at our trails, and we'll look ahead to see His outstretched hand . . .

Snow trails, conclusion

This week, we have talked about leaving footprints in the snow. We're concluding our study today with this thought:
We will be able to look behind us and see where we have been; we will be able to see the path we've walked.

We started this week with the mental image of a large, open field, newly blanketed with snow. The crystals glisten and beckon to us to come and explore. We have decisions to make - which way to go? We will leave our footprints behind us, and others may walk along in our pathway. But those same footprints can be helpful to us, as well . . .
When I get to the other side of my pasture, and turn to look back at the house, I can see the lights inside (if we still have power!) gleaming brightly. The house looks warm and inviting. The mountain stretches upward, coated in the same blanket of white. Looking across the field, I can see my footprints -- I can see all of the detours that I took, zigging and zagging about, looking at various things that interested me. I can see where I slipped into that hole and got all snowy when I fell. (Mental note made to fill that hole when I next start up the tractor!) I can see where I took very long steps to get over limbs and obstacles. I also see very short strides trudging up the long hill to where I now stand.

Someday, as I look back on my life, I will be able to see it just as I see my footprints in the snow. I will be able to consider the choices that I have made. I will see the mistakes that I've made, and the times that I have fallen down. I'll see the times that I failed the Lord, and then got up and brushed off and started again. I'll see places and times that I gave in to sin, and to temptation. Times that I should have stood fast in God's power. I'll even see in my minds eye the faces of the people that I hurt by my failures and my unforgiving spirit.

But hopefully, I will also see many good things in my pathway. I will see times that I kept going with His help and made it up a very long "hill." I will see times that He helped me climb over some large obstacles in my life. Hopefully, I will see some right decisions and the blessings that flowed from them. I think that most of us will see a mixture when we look back -- some good things, and some bad.
There's a way to turn bad into good. When we confess our sins and failures to God, we can make things right with those that we have hurt. Then we can determine to make the right choices in the future, and to rely on His strength and grace instead of our own puny strengths. That is the kind of attitude that will help us to see wonderful and precious things in the trials and troubles.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:1-2, 28)

Are you like me? Do you want to leave this world as the Apostle Paul did?

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (II Timothy 4:6-8)

What a triumphant way to face the future! Paul could say that when he was looking back at the course he'd chosen, and the choices he'd made.

Perhaps you've been reading here and your are not yet trusting Christ as your Savior. Joshua asks us all, "Choose this day whom you will serve." Who will you serve? Do you feel it's just too hard to be a Christian? Are you longing for something real? Something that's totally different from what the world offers? Listen to Jesus:

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

If you've not yet trusted Him, I ask you to click on the right-hand side bar and learn what it is to be a Christian, and then pray to become a follower of Jesus Christ.
If you're a believer reading here today, perhaps you, too have a choice you need to make. Perhaps you need to surrender a sin that is an obstacle in your relationship with God. Maybe it's something you are doing; maybe it's something you should be doing, but you're not. Maybe God has asked you to surrender to Him and join a local group of believers. Maybe He has asked you to follow Him in baptism, or to surrender to full-time Christian work. Or maybe it's just that He is calling you to walk more closely with Him, and to spend more time in prayer and study, learning from the Spirit.

We're just a little way into the new year. 2019 is like that pasture, blanketed with new snow. What kind of trail will you leave?

Snow trails

This week, we are considering a fresh, new blanket of snow (the new year) and yesterday we discussed how we would have to decide which direction to go in. We have choices to make.
Today, let's think about the fact that as we walk across the snow, we will leave a trail for others to see. We will leave marks, footprints, as we take off on our hike.
Do you remember being little, and seeing footprints in the snow? The footprints always look much, much bigger than the boots that made them! Whether it's the depth of the snow, or the fact that the snow is melting, the footprints can look really huge!
And there's no way to disguise which way you went, is there? Those tell-tale footprints are there for all to see. Our kiddos always loved to see the animal tracks in the snow. We would see lots of bird tracks, and sometimes we'd see the tracks of a doe, with the tiny tracks of her fawn alongside.

We, too, are leaving a path behind us. A trail that is either positive or negative. What kind of trail are we leaving for the children who watch us? What kind of mark are we making with our lives? They don't have to be our biological children -- they can be the neighbors' kids or the kids at the church or the store. Are we leaving a trail that reveals we love them and care about them? Do we leave a path that shows we want God's best for them? Do we guide and sacrifice and discipline them? Or, do we show another type of footprints altogether -- do we leave a pathway of neglect or disrespect, a pathway of lack of patience, or a pathway of lax standards?

How about on the job? As believers, are we leaving a good trail there? Do we complain about our tasks, or show disloyalty? Are we only willing to do the bare minimum that's needed? Or are we hard workers with great attitudes? Can we counted on every time to be honest and fair? To put it in other words, do we actually act like real Christians? People are watching us -- we've said before that they are looking for something real!

I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day:  I’d rather one should walk with me, than merely show the way; The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear,  Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear.And best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,  For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.I soon can learn to do it if you’ll let me see it done; I can see your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. And the lecture you deliver may be very fine and true; But I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do; For I may not understand you and the high advice you give, But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live. (Edgar A. Guest)

A follow on to this thought is that our pathway will determine where others will walk. Just like when we follow someone's path through the snow -- it's easier in deep snow to step in their footprints, right? In the same way, there are people who will follow our trails in life. We can influence and impact others by the decisions and paths that we make in our lives. This is particularly true of brothers, sisters, parents, and grandparents. If we live a consistently godly life, our family members will be more apt to reflect those same attitudes. If we are hypocritical, they may become bitter and perhaps even reject the Lord. If we are not honest, we shouldn't be surprised if they equivocate and tell "little white lies." If we are unforgiving, we should not be shocked if our family becomes unforgiving, too. They look to us, for better or for worse, for guidance, since we have professed to be Christians.

It's pretty serious, you know? Of course, ultimately, every person must be accountable for his or her own life. But we must be careful because we do influence how and where others walk.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. (Romans 14:13) 

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. (I Corinthians 8:9)

May the Lord help us to walk in His ways and to please Him with the choices that we make this year!

Prayer requests

This week, I would like to ask all of us to make a special time to pray. Yes, I know we have talked about this before.

How many of us really do it?

Do we put aside our phone? Do we turn off the radio or television? If we are unwilling to tune out the distractions, how can we expect to hear Him?

A natural setting is nice, but even then we can have distractions - there are other people in a park, or there are vehicles going past. 

If we are in the woods or meadow, we can definitely look around and enjoy the beauties that God has created -- but then, make sure we do get "down to business" and truly focus on Him.

This verse was very meaningful in my prayer time recently:

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
² Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts. (Psalm 105:1-2)

It made me think . . . when I am totally focused on my relationship with Him, and I'm tuning other things out, am I doing what the Psalmist says? It's a wonderful start to prayer: to give thanks to God for all His wonderful blessings. God loves to hear from us in a thankful vein. If we are alone, what harm is it in actually singing to Him, as mentioned in these verses? No one but our Father to hear us.

And to tell of His wonderful acts. To think of some of the things that have blessed us recently and tell Him thank you for each one. Yes, we can actually bring joy to our Father! 

I was convicted that I'd left that out many times in my quiet time. That I was more interested in blurting out the things I needed His help on..... let's commit to thanking Him. I have a feeling our prayer times will be much more uplifting than before!

If you have a prayer request, please leave a comment to let us know. It will be our privilege to pray along with you.

Footprints in the fresh, new snow

We've mentioned several times that snow is referenced many times in Bible. I guess by now some of you are rolling your eyes and thinking (or saying) "When is she going to get off this snow kick?" (Grin)

Well, I'm really excited that the Spirit has given me more to tell you!

After all, snow is a great jumping off for a winter Bible study, right? Many of us look out our windows and see a lot of the white stuff!

We may not be as crazy about snow as we were when we were younger . . . all kids seem to love snow! Remember how we looked forward to it when we were children? I guess the main thing we looked forward to was getting out of school! But there were snow angels to make, snow forts to build, snowball fights to carry out, and sledding, too.  I can remember bundling our kiddos up and going out in the snow when we'd have a storm here in the southland. I even recall once when our college-age kids were home and we all went out for an epic snow battle and snowman-making extravaganza! Good memories!

It was always fun to get up the next morning and if the snow had continued through the night, all of our battleground would have been recovered with the blanket of white. The pastures stretched out around the house beckoning to us to come and make some footprints in the newly fallen crystals.

I'm looking at 2019 in much the same way. Each new year of our lives is like that field of fresh, new snow. We are poised at the edge, and we are stepping out into it. The Spirit gave me some thoughts that I'd like to share with you all.

On that sparkling morning, we would have to decide where to go in the snow. Which way? Would we walk to the creek, and see what it looked like, with the pine boughs straining under their load of white? Would we go straight across the pastures and up the mountain, to see far across the valley? Wherever we went, we'd leave footprints behind us. It was up to us which direction to go....

As we begin this year, it is us who will decide the course we'll take. We will answer for the decisions that we make.

I've enjoyed studying the life of Joshua several times over the years. Joshua was not all that well known in the first part of his life. Why? He was in a great man's shadow. He spent the first portion of his life in slavery in Egypt, and then Moses made him his assistant. Joshua divided his time between being a military leader and being mentored by Moses. He was Moses' "right-hand-man." It was only Joshua who accompanied Moses on his visit to Mount Sinai, and it was Joshua who stayed in the tent of meeting during the time in the wilderness.

Another part of Joshua's story is that he was one of the twelve spies sent to scout the land of Canaan, and only he and Caleb brought back positive reports. Finally, after forty years of mentoring in the wilderness, Moses appointed Joshua to lead the Israelites, and he led them into the Promised Land. Later, he divided up the land for the tribes, as well.

Following some intense battles in the Promised Land, Joshua made the children of Israel understand that they had a choice to make. All the years that they spent in Egypt, they'd been surrounded by idolatry. Some had fallen prey to the practices, as they showed when they made the golden calf idol and cavorted around it.

As they started to enter the region of the Amorites, Joshua was wary. He knew that they might be enticed into idolizing the gods of the Amorites. It was of the utmost importance that they choose the road they would travel -- after all, decisions have consequences! Here is what Joshua told them:

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15)

As we begin 2019, we have a similar choice to make; we will need to decide whether we will serve God or the gods of this world. I guess some will protest; they'll be saying to themselves, "Well, of course I choose to serve God! How could she ask such a thing?"

Well, what are the gods of this world?

There's materialism, immorality, selfishness, covetousness, self-centeredness, pride, and more. Even a step down one of those slippery slopes can lead us right into sin.

Our ultimate choice is between the will of God and our own will. Sometimes that is a tough one! And whatever our choice, we will see consequences in our lives, and be accountable for it later.

Paul told us:

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,(Hebrews 9:27)

And in Romans:

It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”  So, then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. (Romans 14:12)

If we've been saved, the choice needs to be made every day. A re-commitment to serve God, or the world, or our peers, or money...…are there "gods" in our lives that we need to forsake? It was an eye-opener for me years ago when I realized that anything I allowed to get between me and Christ, or put a higher priority on than Him, was an idol. Just as surely as if I'd constructed something with my hands and bowed down to it.

Joshua's words are important to us today. We must choose today. Which will it be? The God of heaven? Something or someone else?

Which will it be for us in this new year?