Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-15

“Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” vs. 15

The sequence of events in Israel’s early history is not particularly clear, but we do know that sometime after their time in the wilderness, they crossed over the Jordan and began to settle in an already occupied land. They had been wandering tribal people and now they were living in close proximity to cities and towns. Their biggest challenge was theological. Would they remain faithful to the Lord or would they adopt the gods of the land as their own? Joshua tells them his choice is clear: he and his household will serve the Lord. Those same kinds of decisions face the people of God in every age, including our own. There are plenty of gods in our land  and many of them are deceptively attractive–and so we wonder about our own households. Will our children and grandchildren remain faithful to the Lord Jesus or will their loyalties wander? Perhaps they will become a part of that ever increasing group of “nones,” those who have no connection to religion. We’d like to be able to control their faith, but we can’t! All we can do is keep on loving them–that’s what Jesus did, and that’s still the best option!

Thought for the Day: What’s the best way to connect our kids to Jesus?