Read Joshua 24
After
addressing the leaders of Israel, Joshua assembles the entire nation for his
final talk. Joshua begins by sharing a word from the Lord for them. From
Abraham to today, Israel has seen God move in mighty ways. God has guided and
cared for Israel. He has called them and protected them. Joshua’s final call to
Israel is this: choose who you will serve. In light of the revelation you have
of God, will you serve him or will you turn to others gods? The people
responded with a passionate cry: we will serve Yahweh! However, God does not
want rash commitments. Joshua encourages Israel to count the cost of following
Yahweh. If they commit to following Him, they must also submit themselves to
His judgment should they turn from Him. Even so, the people declare that they
will serve God. Instead of celebration or congratulations, Joshua gives them a
serious charge. Now you must rid yourself of foreign gods. You must serve
Yahweh completely. Israel will be held accountable for their response to the
revelation of God. Joshua then sets up a monument to this moment. This monument
will be a witness against Israel if they turn from Yahweh. After this, Joshua
dismisses the people, sending them back to their homes.
The book
of Joshua concludes with Joshua’s death. After faithfully serving God for 110
years, Joshua is buried in the land of his inheritance. We are told that Israel
continued to serve God “all the days
of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel” (v 31). This provides
foreshadowing for the Book of Judges, where Israel repeatedly turns away from
the Lord. Ending on such a solemn note reminds us that we are not only
responsible for our own walks with Jesus. We must also work to leave a legacy
of faith for those who will follow us.
Prayer
and Journaling
1. Have you counted the cost of following
Jesus? We cannot fully serve God without counting the cost (Luke 14:25-33).
Spend some time doing this today. What do you need to lose in order to follow
Him? Read Matthew 16:24-26. Are the benefits of following Jesus worth these
costs to you?
2. Reflect on your time reading Joshua. What
are one or two major themes that stuck out to you? What did God speak to you
through this book? How did you change or grow as a result? Reflecting on such
things reminds us of God’s goodness and protects us from the enemy’s attempts
to steal what we have learned. Thank God for what He has done for you in your
devotional life recently. Ask Him for strategies to grow in your devotional
life.
3. Pray for pastors and church leaders in
Canada. Pray that they would grow in their personal relationships with God and
their ability to faithfully lead their churches. Pray that God would also show
them how to raise up leaders for the next generation. Pray that they would
learn how to train and prepare other leaders to minister to their communities.
Pray that our pastors and leaders would leave a lasting legacy of faith in
their communities.
