If We Choose God...He Will Keep Us In His Perfect Peace

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.”

Joshua shared one last word from God before he passed from his earthly life.  God recounted the whole story one more time…from the promise he made to Abraham…to where they stood that day. The bondage…the freedom….the obedience and its blessings… the disobedience and its consequences were all included.

God recounted the story…told them what to do…but Joshua’s response is included.  He had chosen God…and had raised up his family with his commitment to him. The words he said…and took the time to write down for us in the books of law have become one of the most used verses in the Bible.  I see it on church marquees…. on decorative frames for pictures… it is printed an thousands of decorative plaques for one’s wall. 

I can say from experience my choice to choose God was the best decision I ever made in my life.  His love…his care… his way…..has made the less comfortable times he has allowed in my life tolerable. I am even learning to let God rearrange my opinions of my pain into a joy that is hard to explain. I am beginning to understand the palmists words in chapter 30… “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”  The pace that passes understanding that Paul talks about in Philippians 4:7 begins to cover everything that happens in your life. It may still be painful…but you can accept it as a pathway to greater peace in the end.

Father…thank you for the reminder that your way is the best way.  Forgive me for the times that I have let my humanness get in the way….leading me to misunderstand…even run away from you at times. Help me to cling to the promise that f I follow you alone…you will keep me in your perfect peace….because I have trusted you.  Amen.