YEAR 2, WEEK 25, Day 4, Thursday, 19 June 2025

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Thursday, 19 June 2025:

In Joshua 24:1–13, Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, the historic site of God’s covenant with Abraham and Jacob. There, he delivers a speech from the Lord that recounts the history of God’s faithfulness—from Abraham’s calling to Israel’s conquest of the land.

Joshua 24:3–4 – “Then I took your father Abraham… and led him through all the land of Canaan…. And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.”

This section emphasizes that everything Israel has—freedom, land, victories—comes from God’s gracious initiative, not human merit. Over and over, the Lord says, “I gave…” (vv. 3, 4, 8, 13). This grace-based history aligns with Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 2:8–9—salvation and all blessings are God’s gift, not a result of works. Note that we are fully dependent on grace, not just for salvation, but for “all blessings.” Grace is everything God freely gives us we can’t give ourselves. We depend on God’s grace for every breath we take. Often Christians will say they need God’s grace in a particular matter as if they don’t already have it and operate from it continually. God’s grace is always sufficient. All we need to do is learn to abide in it.

• 2 Peter 1:3 — His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence….
• 2 Corinthians 3:5 — Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God….
• 2 Corinthians 9:8 — And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 — But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Joshua 24:13 – “I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built… and you eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.”

Remembering what God has done is essential for resisting spiritual drift. Gratitude guards against entitlement and idolatry.

Joshua 24:14–15 – “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 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.”

This is the central exhortation of the chapter. In light of God’s grace, Israel is called to wholehearted service, rejecting all rival allegiances. The choice is presented clearly: God or idols. Joshua doesn’t leave room for passive religion—he demands intentional loyalty.

The NT echoes this call in Romans 12:1–2, where Paul urges believers to offer their whole lives as a living sacrifice in response to God’s mercy. Joshua’s words also resonate with Jesus’ teaching: “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). Real worship is a response to grace that leads to exclusive allegiance and total obedience. You must choose every day who your house will serve.

If we are using “grace” as an excuse to continue in sin, trivializing the blood of Christ which was shed to pay the penalty of those sins, we are in essence denying the Gospel and rejecting the new life in Christ – “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-29) “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9) “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 1:9)

• Psalm 119:2 — Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
• Proverbs 25:26 — Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
• 1 Kings 18:21 — And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.

Joshua 24:15 — “Choose this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Everyone on earth chooses who they will serve, God or an idol. Some will verbally proclaim the Lordship of God and may even back their oaths up with religious activities and good deeds, but in reality, their hearts are not with God. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23).’”

A person can do “many mighty works” in the name of God and still lack a saving faith. Also, born-again Christians can drift comfortably out of fellowship with God, replacing sound theology with a self-centered me-ology that plays by the religious “rules” and uses “good works” to legitimize to themselves and to others what has been termed “approbation lust” – the desire to be recognized, to promote oneself.

The desire for recognition or approval can become a powerful, all-encompassing motivator in life that can cause us to do our will for self-glorification while claiming, even convincing ourselves, we are doing the will of God. We can do “right” things for the wrong reasons and in the wrong way. Only you and God know what motivation is behind your daily actions. Pray that God will continually incline your heart more and more toward Him and less and less toward self. Examine yourself. Whenever you hear yourself saying or thinking “I”, ask yourself if that “I” is not short for “idol.” Are you really serving God our yourself, perhaps in the name of God.

• Isaiah 10:15 — Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!
• Luke 18:14 — I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
• Romans 15:18 — For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,
• Galatians 6:14 — But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
• Jeremiah 9:23 — Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
• Proverbs 27:2 — Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
• 1 Corinthians 4:7 — For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
• 2 Corinthians 11:30 — If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
• Ephesians 2:8-9 — For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
• 1 Timothy 6:10 — For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
• Mark 8:35 — For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
• Read 2 Timothy 3 about the powerless form of religion vs. the true religion.

You cannot serve God half-heartedly. By definition, a casual response to God is really to deny Him as God. You cannot be partially committed to God and honor Him as God, and you cannot expect God to honor your partial obedience which is really just disobedience. Nor can you expect to wander from God and stay close to Him at the same time. Love of God results in obedience. Unity with God requires obedience. Only in God’s presence is there fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Today, Joshua tells the people to stop kidding themselves. Either serve God or stop pretending to. If we are using grace as an excuse to continue in sin, we are denying that we ever truly accepted grace in the first place.

• Joshua 14:14 – Caleb…. wholly followed the Lord.
• 2 Kings 20:3 — “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.”
• 2 Chronicles 19:9 — And he charged them: “Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, and with your whole heart:
• 2 Chronicles 25:2 — And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.
• Luke 11:23 — Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
• Revelation 3:16 — So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

“Choose this day whom you will serve.” Jesus modelled decision-making for us. His decisions came out of tremendous prayer. Consider the following observations from Henry T. Blackaby:

“It was common knowledge among the disciples that they would find Jesus praying during the early morning hours. When they needed Him, they knew to go to the place of prayer. When Judas betrayed Jesus, he led his cohorts to Jesus’ place of prayer.

Every time the Lord Jesus faced an important decision, He prayed. When He was being tempted to do things by the world’s methods instead of the Father’s, He prayed (Matt. 4). When it was time to choose His disciples, He prayed the entire night (Luke 6:12). The Son of God spent a whole night in prayer before choosing the twelve disciples. How long might it take us in prayer to clearly determine our Father’s will?

Because Jesus was so often surrounded by crowds, He knew He must find a quiet place so He could clearly hear His Father’s voice. Jesus had many people seeking to influence the direction of His life. His disciples wanted Him to go where the crowds were (Mark 1:37). The crowds wanted to crown Him king (John 6:15). Satan tempted Him to make compromises in order to draw a following (Matt. 4:3, 6,9).

Jesus knew that His mission was not to attract a crowd, but to remain obedient to His Father. It was prayer that set the agenda for Jesus’ ministry (Luke 6:12). Prayer preceded the miracles (John 11:42-43); prayer brought Him encouragement at critical moments (Luke 9:28-31); prayer enabled Him to go to the cross (Luke 22:41-42); and prayer kept Him there despite excruciating pain (Luke 23:46). Follow the Savior’s example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life.”

• Mark 1:35 — “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
• Luke 5:16 — “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
• Luke 22:44 — “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

Jesus prayed continuously, passionately, and intensely. When challenges came, He prayed even more. Also, Jesus made it clear that some problems can be solved by nothing but prayer — “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (Mark 9:29) Jesus modelled the sort of prayer which the Bible teaches us is effectual: fervent (vehement) and perseverant prayer, not just desultory, casual, or dull. The prayers of the righteous come from the depths of the heart and are, as Paul described, a continual struggle, a wrestling within, or a pouring out of the soul before the Lord. (Colossians 4:12) However, this intense prayer is not desperate or hopeless prayer but rather confident prayer on the sovereignty, sufficiency, and providence of the Lord – “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5-7)

• Ephesians 6:18 — Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17 — Pray without ceasing….
• Romans 12:12 — Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
• Colossians 4:2 — Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
• James 5:17 — Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 — Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

How is your prayer life?

Everyone on earth chooses who they will serve, God or an idol. Some will verbally proclaim the Lordship

In Joshua 24:16–24, Israel responds with enthusiasm: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord!” (v. 16). But Joshua challenges their easy affirmation:

Joshua 24:19 – “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God… He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.”

This may sound harsh, but Joshua is warning against shallow commitments. God is holy. He is not to be served casually or manipulated. This anticipates Jesus’ call to count the cost before following Him (Luke 14:25–33). Joshua presses them toward deep, durable, informed devotion.

Following God requires complete humility to see that you have no hope apart from the grace and power of God. God convicts the proud of their moral bankruptcy that they will turn to Him for mercy, grace, and power.

Joshua 24:23 – “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

Even after all they’ve seen, the people still have foreign gods among them. True faith is not just verbal agreement; it requires inner transformation and outer reformation—heart and habits must align.

Joshua 24:26–27 – And Joshua wrote these words… and took a large stone and set it up there… “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us.”

The covenant is renewed, recorded, and memorialized with a visible witness. This stone would serve as a spiritual accountability marker—a visual reminder of their vow to serve God. Like baptism or communion, physical symbols can serve to remind us of spiritual commitments. But the sign must match the heart.

Joshua 24:31 – Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the LORD did for Israel.

Good leaders have a preserving effect on society by keeping people in compliance with God’s laws.

Joshua dies at 110, and Israel buries him in his inheritance. The chapter closes with this beautiful summary: Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel. (Joshua 24:31) Joshua’s leadership leaves a lasting legacy. He was not just a conqueror but a disciple-maker. The people continued in faith because of those who had known the Lord’s work.

• 2 Timothy 2:2 — What you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Faithfulness that lasts beyond your life is the mark of godly leadership.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 19 June 2025: “Choose this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) In a world filled with distractions, conveniences, and rival gods, you are called to make a clear, costly, and courageous choice: Will you follow Jesus fully today? Not just with your words—but with your priorities, your time, your habits, and your household leadership? Identify and “put away” one idol competing for your loyalty (comfort, control, success, media, etc.). Invite someone in your home or community to join you in the vow: “As for me and my house…” Pray: “Lord, You have done everything for me—You chose me, saved me, fought for me, and provided for me. Help me not to waver or serve You halfheartedly. Expose any idols I’ve tolerated and give me the strength to choose You today, in word and in deed. May my home reflect Your lordship and my life bear witness to Your grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.”