Month: January 2017

“But if it doesn't please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: The gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.” Joshua 24:15 HCSB

The last part of this verse is a very well-known Scripture which many people have memorized. It has been used on a variety of plaques, posters, and pictures that adorn the walls of many homes. My wife and I have a framed picture on the wall in the entry way of our home proclaiming in calligraphy, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua challenged the people to choose who they would worship. There was an immediacy to his request. He wanted them to choose that very day. The people stood at the crossroads, and they needed to make a choice. Joshua was basically asking, “Are you going to serve the One true living God or are you going to put your faith in these false gods and idols?” He did not want the people to settle into the promised land as idolaters but to be totally committed to God alone.

Challenge: From the beginning of time God has always allowed people to make choices. Adam and Eve made the wrong choice and today we still make wrong choices. Just as in Joshua's time, we must each choose who we will worship and serve. Choose today to worship the One true and living God.

Read The Bible Through In Two Years: Genesis 3:1-24; Matthew 3:1-17

“Therefore, fear the Lord and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship Yahweh.” Joshua 24:14 HCSB

Just about everyone has a keepsake box. I have a box that contains items I have kept from my past going back to my childhood. Nothing in the box holds any real value, but each item means something to me because it brings back a memory of some activity or person. For example I have the baseball glove, a ball, and my hat from when I played Little League. We all tend to keep things that have meaning to us.

It is hard to believe that after wandering in the wilderness for forty years and being admonished by Moses to worship the one true God that some people still had graven images and idols of false gods in their possession. Joshua instructed the people to get rid of the gods of their fathers. The old generation had passed away and now the younger generation still had idols that had been brought out of Egypt. Why were they holding on to these worthless idols? Did they think they could “fall back” on the other gods if Yahweh did not come through for them? Were they holding on to the memory of the past? We do not know, but we do know that Yahweh is the one true God and deserves our complete devotion and worship.

Challenge: What bad habits and sins from your past are you holding on to? Are there things in your life that are more important than God? Are these things your false gods that you need to get rid of? Trust God to take care of you and leave your old life behind. Worship the one true God with awe, reverence, and faithfulness which should lead to you servingHim through your daily actions and words.

Read The Bible Through In Two Years: Genesis 2:4-25; Matthew 2:1-23

Happy New Year! To help those who may want to get deeper into God's Word, beginning January 1, 2017 First Things First will feature a daily listing of Old and New Testament Scriptures to read the Bible Through in Two Years. On Friday of each week there will be a listing for Saturday and Sunday, since First Things First is only sent Monday through Friday. Each reading will take about 5-10 minutes. Make a commitment to get into God's Word. Don't give up, even if your schedule causes you to miss a few days, you will benefit from reading through God's Word. May God richly bless you and give you a wonderful 2017.

Here is your first reading for January 1, 2017:

Read The Bible Through In Two Years: Genesis 1:1 – 2:3; Matthew 1:1-25