. . . choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . —Joshua 24:15
A person’s will is embodied in the actions of the whole person. I cannot give up my will— I must exercise it, putting it into action. I must will to obey, and I must will to receive God’s Spirit. When God gives me a vision of truth, there is never a question of what He will do, but only of what I will do. The Lord has been placing in front of each of us some big proposals and plans. The best thing to do is to remember what you did before when you were touched by God. Recall the moment when you were saved, or first recognized Jesus, or realized some truth. It was easy then to yield your allegiance to God. Immediately recall those moments each time the Spirit of God brings some new proposal before you.
“. . . choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . .” Your choice must be a deliberate determination— it is not something into which you will automatically drift. And everything else in your life will be held in temporary suspension until you make a decision. The proposal is between you and God— do not “confer with flesh and blood” about it (Galatians 1:16). With every new proposal, the people around us seem to become more and more isolated, and that is where the tension develops. God allows the opinion of His other saints to matter to you, and yet you become less and less certain that others really understand the step you are taking. You have no business trying to find out where God is leading— the only thing God will explain to you is Himself.
Openly declare to Him, “I will be faithful.” But remember that as soon as you choose to be faithful to Jesus Christ, “You are witnesses against yourselves . . .” (Joshua 24:22). Don’t consult with other Christians, but simply and freely declare before Him, “I will serve You.” Will to be faithful— and give other people credit for being faithful too.
Journal DJR
Good morning Lord,
Distractions. Too many committments. What’s to be done? I want to follow you but it seems so easy to run amuck.
It really isn’t that difficult. I put the stories in the book to show you the way to live. Like Mary and Martha. Martha was like the modern American multi tasker. She had a list and wanted it all to get done. She had it planned out, including the delegation and in her mind all the parts would come together and the party was going to go smoothly. But then life happened and stress invaded her calendar and the original objective of bringing Heaven to Earth was lost in anger, strife, and resentment. Mary on the other hand was clear on one objective and kept it foremost in her mind. So today you get to choose, Just like Joshua, and just like Mary and just like Martha. Who will you serve? Who will you follow?
But Lord, dont the meals have to be prepared and the projects of life have to be completed?
Many dont. I’m not in them. I’m not blessing them. They are human efforts for human glory. So first of all try to discern those and just say “No, thank you” It’s true, the meals need to be prepared and many things do need to be done. Rest assured that if I have called you to prepare the meal, that I will provide the labor and materials and plan to get it done. That may include you and your resources. And maybe a lot of others. Your job is to stay connected with me and keep focused on bringing my Kingdom to Earth. Focus on bringing Heaven to Earth in the one thing you are doing right now.
I was curious if Mary ever was in charge of preparing the meal and how things would have been different.
You can walk with me wherever you go. A crowded street or a lonely road. Or a busy kitchen. What Mary had mastered was the ability to keep that window into Heaven open and see what was important. On that day, I was there and being with me was the most important. Keep looking expectantly and looking for ways to be a blessing and to bring my Kingdom into your world. I am looking for those who will live that way. When I find them, I show them wonderful things. They hear and obey and then I show them more.
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