WEDNESDAY July 17, 2024

A Choice to Make

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:15

Before Joshua died, he gave the children of Israel a serious charge: “...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....” The people agreed to serve the Lord, but they failed to teach their children about the Lord. When Joshua and his generation died, the book of Judges leaves us with this tragic record:

Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died when he was one hundred and ten years old. ... When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel (Judges 2:8-10).

The consequences of the parents not teaching their children about the Lord were disastrous. Without any spiritual leadership, the children of Israel became idolaters: Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals... (Judges 2:11).

Israel’s failure was a direct result of not teaching the next generation about the Lord and His marvelous acts performed among them. Christian parents need to learn from Israel’s failure. As parents, will you diligently take up Joshua’s charge? Answer his challenge, “...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....”

Joshua, as a spiritual leader, made his choice clear to the nation of Israel: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Will you do the same? Before God, fathers and mothers have a great responsibility to teach and nurture their children in the ways of the Lord.

Let no Christian parent fall into the delusion that Sunday School is intended to ease them of their personal duties. The first and most natural condition of things is for Christian parents to train up their own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
~C.H. Spurgeon~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!