Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord…” —Joshua 24:19
Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions? It really is true to say, “I cannot live a holy life,” but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. “You cannot serve the Lord…”— but you can place yourself in the proper position where God’s almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you?
“The people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the Lord!’ ” (Joshua 24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, “But God could never have called me to this. I’m too unworthy. It can’t mean me.” It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is still relying and trusting in anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, “I will serve the Lord.”
We say, “Oh, if only I really could believe!” The question is, “Will I believe?” No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?
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Journal DJR
Good morning Lord,
You know it’s true. I cannot serve you in the way the church, other people, and my own conscience wants me to. I’ve tried failed repeatedly. But the good news that I’m hearing is that I don’t have to strive for those objectives anymore. The only thing to strive for is my relationship and connection with you and let everything else flow out of that.
There will be indicators and fruit as you are successful in connecting and relating to me. There are a list of them in the Book. One of them is that you will no longer question if you are doing enough or good enough. These are indicators and fruit of life of surrender and connection. You cannot strive for them or do a quid pro quo … trading up for them. If you do, these good gifts will spoil, like old manna. Only strive to live surrendered, connected, and stay curious about how I will work all things out.
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