Joshua 24:15 –
But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua spends the first part of this chapter reviewing what God did for them in the past, so to remind them of where their allegiance needs to lay. This verse really says it all as far as our need to commit. They had a choice to either worship the god’s around them or worship the one true God the delivered them from Egypt. Joshua is saying go one direction or another, but not both.
Ironically we tend to dismiss this today and follow other gods while trying to live a life holy to God. The problem is we don’t have other gods, but we have other idols. If you don’t believe so, ask yourself what consumes more time, your hobby, car, bank account or God? Today we tend to believe in God and dismiss the other gods that existed in previous days, since most have been dismissed by science. We know that water particles rising in a cloud cause static friction and eventually discharge is a spectacular bolt of lightning.
The other gods have been dismissed by science and science is trying to dismiss the one true God. Today our focus is more on stuff and that consumes our thoughts. How many times do we pray for our own betterment? Pray for that nice car, a better job or a new house … on and on you can list selfish prayers. Believe me I am guilty of all these this week alone. They key is don’t let the world consume us, but let God consume us.
To paraphrase Jesus and Paul, we are in this world but do not be of this world. That is really what Joshua is saying here since the world around them wants different things. Like today the outside influences can distract our walk with God. Our idols have changed for the unknown to the physical. The idols now have names like Mercedes, Versace, Prada or Porsche and consume us like idols before. It’s a fine line between having nice stuff that you can afford and worshiping them. My question is can you love God with all your heart and drive a Porsche? The key is who you think of more!