Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua taught the children of Israel one of the great truths that keep you serving God your entire life. He gave a choice to Israel whether to serve the gods their fathers turned to or to serve the LORD. This is a strange statement when you look at this point in Israel’s history. Israel was serving God, but Joshua wanted Israel to understand they had to make the choice every day to serve God.
The key to serving God your entire life is to choose to serve God every day. Just because you served God yesterday does not mean that you will serve Him today. Just because God worked mightily through you yesterday does not mean that He will work mightily through you today. Just because you read your Bible yesterday does not mean that you will read it today. Every day you must make a choice when you get up to serve the LORD. Serving God is not a once-in-a-lifetime decision, but a daily decision, and often a minute-by-minute decision.
Let me explain. Many make God a checkbox in their weekly accomplishments and think they are spiritual because they checked the box of going to church. However, after attending church, they live the rest of their week living for themselves. When I say living for themselves, I am not saying that they are doing what many would call “bad” things, I simply mean that they are not doing anything for God neither have they conquered anything for God. Serving God is not a checkbox you check on Sunday, but serving God is a daily choice to obey God and conquer by faith.
You start out each day choosing to serve God by reading the Scriptures and praying. Just like making your bed starts your day accomplishing something, so reading God’s Word is a conscious choice to serve God. To go about your day and not take time to read God’s Word as you start your day is to say that you choose to serve something other than God. You will never serve God successfully if you don't start serving Him first thing in the morning by reading His Word and praying.
Moreover, you overcome sin by choosing each day to overcome it. You don't overcome sin by a one-time choice, but you overcome sin by daily choosing not to do it. You choose daily not to spend time with the crowd that will cause you to be overcome by your sin. You choose daily to say “no” to the sin which so easily besets you. You cannot worry about whether you will overcome tomorrow; you choose today to overcome it.
Likewise, you choose today not to quit in the difficulties of trials. Your trial may seem great, and you may not know how you will make it through the rest of your life with this trial, but you don't have to make that choice; your choice is to make it through that trial today.
My friend, everything you do in the Christian life is a daily choice. You choose daily whether to live by faith, go soul winning, or to do right. The successful Christian life is lived successfully by choosing each day to live the Christian life. To live any other way is to guarantee failure, so choose you this day that you will serve God and you will serve Him.
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