Fear the Lord
Serve Him In Sincerity
Serve Him in Truth
As for me and my house,
We will serve the Lord
Joshua 24: 14 – 15
“…Wewe ulipata kapesa ukapotea…” This statement has been thrown at me over phone calls severally this year. From a material perspective through an “obscured eye”, that statement would make sense and would be true. But the two don’t relate. People find it easier to relate to someone who goes underground because of an abundance of “money” more than they would because of someone who goes underground because of an abundance of Grace. I went underground to grow spiritually in a safe and nurturing environment and to serve God without self imposed barriers.
This morning as I was reading Joshua 24, I Was reminded of Abraham and also the Israelites and the rivers and seas they had to cross to get to their promised lands. All from a “bad place”. My past is filled with so many bad places that I had to depart from. My greatest struggle was detaching from the world. Having great friends who still find it okay to drink, get high, fornicate, bad deals, disrespect superiors, the list is endless… But I had to cross a river and walk by faith. Incidentally my journey of faith coincided with a point in life when I was almost filing for bankruptcy because of debt (But of course that’s not faith & it’s against right stewardship where I should pay all my debts). So the temptation to indulge in various unclean businesses to get out of debt was very high.
So part of my friends think, I’m hiding because I owe them money, others are thinking I’m hiding because I have a lot of money, but what they don’t know is, I was walking with God in my own little ways and sacrifices had to be made. It didn’t make sense to anyone actually that I even needed to change my ways of worshiping and serving God by a change of churches. God told me to move from church to also from my former house in Umoja. He spoke and He spoke clearly. I still wanted to host parties in my house and drink soda or coffee while I watched people indulge and as I reawaken my fornication demons to the girls who would swing around that house in the name of having fun. While instead I was supposed to be using this place and opportunity to minister to these people who God loved so much. But I was still a baby… I couldn’t minister confidently… I couldn’t even give a solid testimony while under that burden of debt. 😔
“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14
I had to put away “my gods”.☝🏾 Joshua was giving these people options but he was reminding them of what God was doing to them. He had brought them out from Egypt. God brought me out of my own level of Egypt. I wouldn’t list here all the vices I was involved in but it’s clear the Lord worked on me and called me out. He patiently waited. STEPping Into Salvation shares this continuing story. But I couldn’t be what God wants me to be if I am still worshiping those gods I had. Including the subtle feeling of importance that came from hosting friends to indulge at my place. The reason of going underground is a longer story but the bottom line is I chose God.
“…me and my house shall serve the Lord.”
Serving the Lord goes without saying that its not just wearing the usher badge in church only, or teaching the Sunday school, or washing the sanctuary and arranging seats in church on Saturday evening… Its more. How do I offer my services at work? Am I a diligent and obedient servant? Am I a good steward of company property? How do I treat my family? How do I treat my friends? Do I reflect God in everything I do? Do I walk in the Light? What’s my heart like… You know… This list goes on and on.
There is a lot of emphasis on “The other side of the river” in Joshua 24. This is as firm as it is stated throughout the chapter and a known fact. Why would anyone go back to where they were, knowing what they had gone through with a promise for bigger and better ahead? 🤔 There is that group that wants me to prove My God because of things… Things… As mentioned earlier its easy for “the world” to relate to seeing what God has done, from a physical perspective. Like – You’re still not paying me my money. So where’s He? But we cannot see you out here? But you haven’t got your dream house yet? But you are still not flying commercial till now? The Lord reminds me that I only need to put my feet in water by faith and the rest of the water(s) will part for me to walk through. The process is worth it. The sacrifice of leaving all and choosing God, , crossing the river and leaving the world with all its issues is what my heart is after. Friendship is useless if it derails your walk with God and you cannot serve God with it. A relationship is useless if it derails your walk with God and it cannot Serve God, A job, talents and gifts as well.
Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord , for he is our God.”
Joshua 24:16-18
Looking back, my life (which I will be referring to a lot in this season,) had no genuine joy in worldly indulgences and addictions – Calling them for what they were. It’s a level of bondage one needs to see it for what it is. There is no class, there is no lifestyle, there is no life in what I lived before. But the Lord pulled me out and brought me out of that bondage to serve him. To serve Him. And just like the Israelites who were smart enough to know that it would be dumb to worship other gods while they had encountered the real God, here I am asking God to humble me every day, so that I can serve Him in ways better than I have been able to. I’m willing… I’m willing…
I will serve the Lord.🙋🏽♂️