"...choose today whom you will serve."
Joshua 24:15b
Joshua 24:15b
My Take Aways
Something Old:
Ahhh...the simplicity and complexity of following Jesus.
- Love the LORD your God
- Walk in His ways
- Obey His commands
- Hold firmly to Him
- Serve Him
Joshua 24:2
Abraham's father worshiped other gods. So did his brother.
Something to Do:
Renew my commitment to:
"Never abandon the Lord and serve other gods." Joshua 24:16
"Serve the Lord, for He alone is God." Joshua 24:18
"Serve the Lord my God and obey Him alone." Joshua 24:24
I feel like I should be shaking poms poms in the air and shouting, "Gooooo Team!"
23 Comments:
I found this poem on a website and after all the things we've gone through this past week I found this to be encouraging.
A Memo From God
To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: God
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.
If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough
to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one
of them!
Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you, you may have touched their life in ways you will never know!
Thank you all for your comments and hope expressed yesterday. Thank you too Jennifer Renee for your memo;it did make me smile! :)
My husband and I will be making arrangements to travel to IL for services for my SIL on Holy Saturday. I am so thankful that she is whole and free from pain! This resurrection week, I am also thankful that we can remember her life on the day our Savior also lay in the grave prepared for His resurrection! I think it will be a very fitting memorial and celebration of two lives living still.
Today my verse is Jos. 22:5b
Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul
This is reminiscent to me of John 15:5 - I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
New to me was the mention of witnesses that were rocks (both the alter and the stone that Joshua rolled by the tree in Jos. 24:27).
Jesus also calls stones witnesses when during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem he says: "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:40)
My to do: cling to the Lord, remember that all of God's creation is a witness to His glory,and even the rocks cry out His name. Keep my vows.
Peace,
Karen, Basel
Good morning, GIG's
Promise verse: Matthew 5:4 (The Beatitudes) "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
Power prayers for Gabriel, his family and loved ones, and his medical team. May the peace of the Lord be with them all, and may God's wisdom guide them.
Lots of flooding here in New England. My basement is taking water! Lord, we've had enough rain, thank you!
Peace,
Michelle in New England
I choose to serve the Lord!
My heart goes out to all in need of prayer; especially little Gabriel and his family. When your child is sick the whole world stops. May God in His mercy grant us our prayers of healing.
Something Old: Before the tribes in the Promised Land went to war against the tribes on the east side (because of the altar they had built) they FIRST went to talk to them. How many times do I jump to a conclusion that is totally wrong? If only I would learn to ask "why" before leaping to judgement.
Something New: Joshua 23:1-5 talks about how large the land that was allotted to the Isrealites was. Now today we see how small Isreal is. In their disobedience God punished them.
Nugget: "so be careful to love the Lord your God". How many times have I told my children to "be careful". I never thought of it in this context. Be Careful! We see what happen to the Isrealites when they failed to be careful to love their God.
I also saw a foreshadowing of Jesus: Joshua 23:13: "a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes"
Blessed Tuesday all! Be purified in Him.
Morgen
I am having some trouble with posting. I'll type one up, hit publish, and it never shows up on the blog. Anyone else?
Hello Favorite Bible Studying Friends ~
One of my favorite promises I memorized last year: "Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures." This is a verse that I pray over all of us.
(Luke 24:45).
My Old: Today, we read about Joshua's final words to the Israelites: To live holy - his advice remains important to us as well.
Joshua 23:6-8
***Be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the book of Instruction.
***Do not deviate from it
***Do not even mention the names of their gods
***Much less swear by them or serve them or worship them
***Cling tight to the LORD your God
***Fear the LORD
***Serve him wholeheartedly
***Serve the LORD alone
To Do: Cling to God - it's my only hope!
Praying for all the requests, Lori
Karen, in Basel, you and Bob will be in my prayer's as you travel this week. I'm so sorry about your SIL. As you cry tears, may God give you grace to get through. May He be everything you need to cope with her loss. May comforting people surround your brother as continues now without her.
Jenniefer, loved your last poem, and thank you today for sharing what you found...in all things we should be thankful! I'm learning to do that more and more! Boy, you have quite the busy week--daily, spending time with the Body of Christ! So glad you are posting every day! You are a blessing to our blog! And---look at you sister Jeanne, figuring out the computer like that!
Grace & Peace~ Thank you for your words, they really reminded me of the last time my husband attended church, last Mother's Day. I had everyone I knew praying over him...well, you won’t believe what happened! Satan attacked me! He’s such a sly snake! He caught me so off guard, and totally robbed me of the joy I should have had. I learned one thing: the enemy does not want Dave saved! Thank u everyone for your prayer’s.
Rhonda, loved what you said about, "each with its pasture land" I went back and highlighted that. A beautiful and peaceful picture to me.
Praying for sweet, little Gabriel. May God's hands guide all those around him, to do exactly what God's perfect will may be and draw others to see His Glory.
Lifting up the Proverbs 31 team also.
Morgen,
I always have to hit the 'publish' button twice. (well almost always)
If I hit it once, and then check and it did not post, then I hit it again.
Your Nugget: "so be careful to love the Lord your God". This stood out to me as well...how many times I say (as my son is leaving to hop in his car...'be careful...'
To think that we are to be careful to love the Lord our God! Think about that! We need to be mindful and watchful about this. It's not as easy as it sounds. If we are saying we are loving the Lord, that means we are obeying his Word. That means we are showing love to EVERYONE (everyone!) around us. If we say we do not love someone then we are not walking with God. People will know we are holy if we love one another. It is what sets us apart and makes us different in the world. It is what draws people to us, so that we can share our love of the Lord to them.
Love = sacrifice
"Oh, how He loves you and me" we sang this beautiful song last Sunday. Thinking about how Jesus gave me his life. What more could He give? What more could He sacrifice? What can I sacrifice today to show my love. Wow, Morgen, you've got me really thinking more about this "being careful."
Thank you, Lori
Good morning Ladies!
Here on Long Island it has been pouring since yesterday, I think the whole eastern coast of the US is like this. I look forward to the sun Lord!
Thank you Ladies for your prayers,
Jennifer Renee I love you poem "memo to God" I am trying to save it in my inbox through the blog but I guess I have to cut and paste it.
Karen, I am praying for travelling mercies and for comfort during this time of loss of your SIL
Michelle from New England I am with you the rain is just too much, I pray that your basement not get flooded. Thank you for your prayers for my husband's exam.
I am continually praying for little Gabriel and his family for strength and healing.
As for todays vlog I am reminded that our idols can be something as deceiving as my computer time, in spite of my "work emails and researching" I can be wasting time on other senseless things online. I do not want to these things competing with my time with the LORD and reading His word. I want to serve HIM wholeheartedly and I am thankful for the group of Ladies here and Wendy's vlog that keeps me grounded.
Have a great Tuesday!
Paola (Long Island, NY)
Prayers are with you all today. Karen, I was intrigued by the mention of stones too. There are so many references to stones, it makes me wonder if there has been a study just on this small topic!
Examples-- Jacob's memorial stone, Gen 28:18, stones from the River Jordan, Josh 4:20, Joshua's memorial 24:26-7, and the others to come, such as the stone entombing Christ, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, Peter is God's rock.... I am not a scholar of the bible, but it is so exciting to me to see all the connections!
I am a lover of stones! I have a collection of rocks and stones under my bird feeder, and they all have special meanings to me. Rather than getting souveniers, I have always wanted a memorial rock or stone from special places. My children have brought them from different parts of the world, I have fossils and stone artifacts from various parts of our midwest, and mementos of places I have been. I write on the bottoms of them (except the fossils!) with a marker, describing where they came from. To anyone's glance, they just look like a pile of rocks and stones, but to me each is memorializing something special.
I just loved that these people in the bible memorialized God in the stones! I can only think that a stone is something that never changes over time-- proof is from many-thousand year old fossils that still have the delicate imprints of life. Stones are impervious to the perils of the elements. I am really moved to find a most special stone to place in my pile, to memorialize my blessed journey with God's Word this year!
Blessings and prayers,
Jacque
Hi Everybody,
Wow!! Such a wonderful compassionate group. What another trying week we are having. Know that you all are being prayed for….Everyone’s hearts are so unexplainable to me. Would love to leave you all a special note….to hang on… hang in there. I picture us all in a BIG GROUP HUG! So here it goes ….1.….2.……3.…. “((((((((((Group HUUUUUUG)))))))))!!” Feel it and embrace it everyone we are in this world together.
Bible knowledge for me today:
Joshua 24:12, And I sent the hornets* ahead of you which drove them [the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites] out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow.
I was curious of what he meant by hornets….in our one year chronicle it was called terror.
Footnote on hornets took me to Exodus 23:28 Hornets: some understand this figuratively of various troublesome afflictions; others translate the Hebrew word as “leprosy.”
cf Deuteronomy 7: 20, Moreover, the LORD, your God, will send hornets among them, until the survivors who have hidden from you are destroyed.
cf Wisdom 12:8, But even these as they were men, you spared, and sent wasps as forerunners of your army that they might exterminate them by degrees.
Yesterday was feeling stressed and a little overwhelmed…. I was put to temptation to play a game of spider solitary….during my lunch break…… “come on just one game!!”….Instead I got in his word and did my reading for today. Good thing….Oh how we need to be in it ALL the time.
Joshua 24:27, Joshua said to all the people, “This stone has heard everything the LORD said to us. It will be a witness to testify AGAINST YOU IF YOU GO BACK ON YOUR WORD to God.”
The words I capitalized jumped out at me just like they appear on here.
5 more days until the Lenten season will be over….but I long to beat Satan even when it is over. After continuing on with my reading I came across this verse also and now have it on a post note and have it on the bottom of my screen of my computer ….Joshua 24: 14, So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. SERVE THE LORD ALONE…..This is one bad habit I would like to break…..I find it a waste of time. Today I feel so great…. that I beat Satan. (Yes and Amen!!)…(I know it seems petty)…..He sent the hornets ahead of me …..(FOR ME).
“Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care“…..Isaiah 40:11.
Gradually become aware of the presence of God. Who gives you all you need.
Hugs
Rhonda
I've also had problems that my comments did not appear so will try to push the publish twice this time.
My prayers for each of you and dear little Gabriel and his family, doctors decisions and his healing.
Your words of wisdom each day add a bright spot to my day. Jacque, I like what you said about the stones and your stone/rock collection.
Jennifer Renee, thank you for the "Memo to God"...loved it! How true.
Lori, praying for Dave. I come against any wiles of the enemy to change his mind about going.
P31 Special Ladies, my prayers are with you.
So much to say about this Bible Study and what I am learning! thank each of you for your comments and sharing your cares with me/us. God has brought us together for such a time as this to pray, encourage, and love you.
One day at the time to press on into the Joshua Challenge. Let the weak say I am strong. PTL.
Have a great day everyone,
Teeny in NC
Wendy,
Continuing to pray for baby Gabriel especially now knowing about his neuroblastoma. I have been praying for a little girl named Brooke who lives in Maryland (never met her but her grandparents went to our church) who has the same condition. God is working miracles in this little girl's life. Maybe you can share this site to Gabriel's mama so she can see what it's like on the other side and maybe connect with Amy, Brooke's mom.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brookemulford
Jennifer Renee, thanks for the Memo from God. It certainly puts things in perspective.
Rhonda, love the group hug - I can use it this morning! I stayed up till 12:35 working on our taxes. Oh and yay for you for resisting Spider Solitaire!
Karen, travel mercies for you and hubby.
Lori, oh the enemy got you on Mother's Day. Wow. He certainly uses the same ploy everywhere. Will be praying for YOU as well then in addition to Dave.
I did not have time to read the commentary as I went to bed really late. But my new is that Joshua had to tell them to put away their idols. I don't know why they were still carrying those around. Could it be from the mixed multitude that left Egypt with them?
Also after over four hundred years, Joseph's bones were finally laid to rest. I wonder who carried those around while they were in the wilderness?
My to do: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. May that be said of all of our homes.
Have a blessed day everyone!
Hello everyone. Believe it or not I am reading everyones comments on a beach from my iPod touch. I love this technology. We are on vacation in Florida and what a blessing it has been. I was so excited to keep up with the reading and Wendy videos. Awesome to read and see the Lord's wonderful creation. It has been beautiful and the time to relax with my husband and children unexplainable. I am keeping everyone in my prayers as I bask in the sun and take peaceful walks along the beach.
Have a blessed day
Bethany
Hi Dear Sisters,
Well, I need to add more to our prayer list today. I got a call from my mom last night and my Great Aunt died yesterday afternoon. She has been in a care facility for a few months now. She had brain cancer a couple of years ago and the end of last year they discovered it had come back. Sunday and yesterday she had seizures and her body shut down. She was in her 80s and lived a great life and is now in heaven with Jesus, but as you all know it is always hard those left behind. Her daughter's name is Kaye if you can pray for her and the rest of our family. She leaves behind a daughter, two granddaughters and 5 great grandchildren. Even though my sister and I were not her official granddaughters she treated us as if we were because our own grandmother was not involved in our life after the age of around 12. My mom and little sister and headed to AL today and I am headed down there tomorrow with my dad. Thank you for your prayers for us as we travel and for our family.
Karen I am praying with you for safe travels as well and Rhonda I needed that group hug today :) I am so thankful for all you ladies.
As for me and my house we will serve the Lord, all of us, I am claiming that in Jesus name that it will be so.
It is beautiful here in TN today, think I will go outside for a bit now that my house is cleaned.
Love,
Brandee, TN
Prayers are with you all today. As I read the blogs each day, I can feel the love in your postings and I hope that in our sharing we give the strength and comfort to all who need it.
I too was very interested in the mentioning of stones and how significant they are in the Jewish tradition. Even today their tradition for each visitor to a Jewish grave site is to place a single stone on the monument. It is to tell the visitors that follow that others have also visited the grave. While living in NY many years ago I became aware of this custom and have passed it on to my family. And now while exploring or on vacation, we all find special stones to deliver to the gravesites of our relatives.
My old: Joshua dies at the age of 110 and leaves such a marvelous legacy.
My new: "But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the God your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
My To do:(Joshua commands them to choose whom they will serve, not if they will serve.) And I choose... "As for me any my family we will serve the Lord".
As we prepare for the resurrection this Sunday it is fitting that we have chosen "The Lord our God" this week. I truly feel so connected to Joshua's command.
Have a blessed day everyone!
Father, I am lifting up your precious Gabriel. You saw him knitted together in his mother's womb and before he was born, knew that he and his family would face this struggle. Please give them comfort and peace, let them see their need for you, run to you with reckless abandon and cling to you for his dear life. Please bless my sisters who are dealing with loss of loved ones and those traveling. You are with us because your spirit is in us, thank you for reminding us of that through your word and the leaders who guide and pour into us.
I kind of dug that the Eastern tribes built a memorial/monument to God (but really as a reminder). It was an outward, physical representation of their faith as well. It stood so that anyone who asked would hear about the great things God did for them and how he saved their lives. What do I do/have as a memorial monument that would bring others to me so that I can share the Gospel?
Karen, I liked the rock references, I never thought of that. And Jacque, I really loved your story about them! What a great idea. It made me recall the Reading Rainbow episode I watched as a kiddo about pet rocks :)
Morgen, thank you for bringing to light the foreshadowing of 23:13. Very timely, indeed. Reiterating that He suffered the EXACT punishment they (and we) should have for turning away from God and worshiping idols.
My to do: Worship and cling to and serve the Lord, my Father, my God, my Provider wholeheartedly SO THAT it would inevitably manifest itself in a physical memorial that would serve as a gateway to Christ through me as part of his body.
And also, to keep the 'big picture' in view. I am reading Practical Theology for Women, written by a leader in women's ministry at my church in Seattle. I just read yesterday about faith, and she referenced a passage in Hebrews that really struck me:
11:13-16 "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one." Remember, that I am just a visitor here, and that I will be going home soon, as soon as my work here is finished :)
You all will be on my hearts and in my prayers.
Bless you.
I may not always say it but I m praying for all the prayer requests.
I really didn't get anything to share out of today's reading so today I'm gleaning off the rest of you all.
I will serve the Lord all the days of my life.
Jeanne, I'm glad you understood my instructions for moving your post. I guess the blind did lead the blind but we did not fall into a ditch.
Dear sweet friends,
I cannot tell you how blessed and encouraged I am by reading your comments. Your love for the Lord overflows into love for each other. Today I need your prayers. As I was praying about submitting this prayer request, God confirmed that I should as I read and prayed from Stormie Omartian's book- Praying for Your Adult Children. She said that when the enemy is encroaching upon your adult child's life, you need reinforcements in prayer and that God can turn a battle anyway He wants it to go in response to prayer, especially when two or more are praying together. The enemy is encroaching upon my son's marriage, and they are losing hope. They have a ten year old son who is rebellious and has no respect for authority. Please pray that God will give my son and his wife hope, encouragement, wisdom, and unity as they walk through these hard times. Please pray that my grandson would be convicted of sin, drawn by God to salvation, and have a heart to obey Him. Bless you for being my Aaron and Hur as we continue to walk and trust God.
To do: (Standing on His Promises)
Joshua 23:8 "Rather cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now...
Joshua 23:10-11 "... for the Lord your God fights for you, just as He has promised...So be careful to love the Lord your God.
Brandee,
I am so sorry about the loss of your dear great aunt. This Holy Week has just been full of death and sickness. So thankful that we have a hope in our Jesus who conquered the grave. Praying for travel mercies for your family as well.
Anonymous at 3:43 p.m. We're standing with you in prayer on behalf of your son and his family. May God give them healing and peace in their marriage. May it spill over into healing and peace for and with their son. May God bind the enemy that is encroaching in that household. We lift these up in Jesus' wonderful name.
Praying for sweet Gabriel. Children are such a gift from God and He holds them in His hand. Wendy I work in Genetics with some of the finest doctors. Will see if I can locate any info on this condition and email to you. Jennifer Renee thanks for the poem. You know satan is loving all the heartache we are going through right now - here at Easter- but God is in control not satan. I too need to add to the prayer requests. One of our physician's husband took his life on Sunday. Evidently he had been having some issues. He leaves behind his wife and 2 small children. Please pray for them tomorrow is the funeral and there is no immediate family in the town they live in. Brandee and Karen praying for you in the loss of your family members. I know satan hates hearing this but AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!! How about it sisters?? AMEN AND AMEN!
Prayers are being said for everyones requests. There are so many needs that I feel it keeps us clinging so very tightly to our LORD in constant prayer and communion. I feel as if the verse in Joshua 22:3 "During all this time you have not deserted the other tribes." Speaks of our group and how we are lifting each other up in prayer and not deserting those in need. Thank you for being such a loving and caring group.
Again, lifting all of the requests up in Jesus' powerful name. AMEN!
Serving the one who first served me,
Linda in PA
Forgot to leave a comment for Marianne concerning your daughter Carla and the MRSA. My best friend had a staph infection last year for over 6 months and had it finally cured by a natural product. If you would like information on this you can email me at jwbreen@msn.com.
Prayers,
Linda in PA
Adding my prayers for all the requests to all of yours. You are right...satan is happy when bad things happen to Christians...but we have an Anchor...and He holds and holds and holds.
Jan TN
Hi All, Praying for all requests that our Lord will be in,through & about each & every need. I am sorry but I too have a prayer request. My brother has been falsely accused & is facing a judge in the morning. Please pray that justice will prevail. That the truth will come out. Thank you for your prayers!
Blessings & Peace Mary
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