So now, fear Yahweh and serve Him in integrity and truth; and put away the gods of your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypty, and serve Yahweh. If it is evil in your sight to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether to gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”     Joshua 24:14-15 LSB

This year we will celebrate 250 years of freedom. Our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence and spoke of rights being endowed by our Creator. We pledge to the American flag. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower added the words one nation under God. Our money says in God we trust. Our founding fathers declared independence from British rule. This nation has been founded on godly principles.

After the Israelites were living in the Promised Land, Joshua also made a declaration. Joshua had led many successful battles being totally dependent on God for the victory. Joshua knew where his help and his strength came from. He trusted in the Lord. And in our Scripture passage today, he strongly encouraged the Israelites to serve the Lord. He reminded them of all the Lord had done from them. He also let them know they had a choice.

He clearly told them, however, that he and his house would serve the Lord. Joshua was a very successful military leader due to his faith in the Lord. God had promised to be with them in battle as they conquered the Promised Land. Joshua had witnessed God’s faithfulness to His people. He trusted in Him. He had been born in Egypt and became Moses’ assistant as they traveled through the wilderness heading to the Promised Land. He depended on God and he trusted in Him.

In our life we will declare independence and try to go it on our own. I don’t recommend this. Or we will be totally dependent upon God. While our nation declared independence from British rule, they did seem to acknowledge the Lord.

I wonder what our founding fathers would think today with how this nation has handled the freedom that they were given. Today we use freedom and rights to go against God. We have the freedom to live our lives in a way that breaks God’s heart and brings about God’s wrath. We can choose to serve Him or to serve our own fleshly desires.

God doesn’t make us trust in Him. He doesn’t make us surrender our lives to Him. He does, however, require it if we want to be His children. He requires it if we want to live in the shelter He provides. He requires it if we want to enjoy the peace and joy that can only come in the salvation we accept through Jesus Christ.

I thank God for the freedoms we have in this country because of the brave men and women that have fought to keep it that way. I thank God for being with this country and the fact that we have the ability to assemble and worship as we please.

I choose to be dependent on Him. He gives me the freedom to choose and I choose Him. I pray that you will do the same because I believe these freedoms we share can be removed if they are misused. I believe there will come a time when God will have had enough of the degradation going on in this nation and remove the freedom we have.

He did it with the Israelites and they were His chosen people. Sin doesn’t go unpunished.

I hope that we can see a great revival in our land. I hope that we will turn to Him and declare dependence on Him and His word. Our nation was great and powerful when we depended on God, and it can be again if we will only turn back to Him.

Have a great day!