Choose the Path of God Alone

Reading: “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. But if you refuse to serve the lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the lord.” The people replied, “We would never abandon the lord and serve other gods. For the lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. It was the lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the lord, for he alone is our God.” Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you abandon the lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.” But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the lord!” “You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the lord.” “Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.” “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the lord, the God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the lord our God. We will obey him alone.” (Joshua 24:14-24 NLT)

Our God has power like no other, there's no doubt about it. But what does the Bible mean when it says to fear our loving God? Most people think of fear as terror, when you go inside a haunted house or see a huge spider making it's way towards you. But fear of God is different. Fear of God is similar to fear of a parent, not because they are scary, but because we respect them and desire to serve and to please them. Out of love they teach us lessons, good and bad, and ultimately help us choose the right path in life. God does the same except he helps us choose the path that leads to Him. Not only should we fear the Lord, but this scripture also tells us to serve wholeheartedly, with all of our love, all of our passion, all of our faith. We don't follow Christ seasonally, when times are good, or when we feel like it. We are to devote all of our heart to him all of the time. Have you ever had an extremely jealous boyfriend or girlfriend? Needing constant affection, and rejecting love you show to anyone else? Having them around, would you dare show that same love to others that you show to them? Of course not. (Unless you're asking for a good old-fashioned butt-kickin') Likewise, our God is a jealous God, jealous for us. Jealous for our hearts, our minds, our attention. He demands our complete loyalty. We have to neglect every other idol in our life, which nowadays can come disguised as our very joys and passions. For some people it's sports, others music, school, money, even the desire to fit in or be noticed. These are all positive joys in life, but when taken too seriously, can gradually cross the line between enjoying your hobby and worshiping it. Over time our very pleasures in life can add up to our own defeat. We are witnesses to our own decisions. We know exactly what our actions and thoughts are. That being said, the path we choose to travel is ultimately up to us. But by choosing the path that leads to God alone, he will shower our lives with blessings.