Devotion:
Read Joshua 24:14-15, 22-24.
I was honored recently to do the memorial service for Lou Dunn, a beloved member of our church. For the first 23 years of their lives together, Jim was an officer in the United States Army, and they moved many times. The family remembers how Lou had this gift of converting their new houses almost overnight into a home. One of her secrets was going through all their things before the move and tossing things they really did not need. Even when they settled into East Brainerd and stopped moving, Lou would still go through their things every couple of years and get rid of the things they no longer needed. This lesson can be applied in our spiritual lives as well!
Joshua was calling the Israelites, before they dispersed to their assigned regions of the Promised Land, to commit to following God with their whole hearts. To do that, Joshua knew they had to get rid of some things. They needed to get rid of the pagan gods they had brought along with them. You and I must often stop and think about what in life we are devoted to and treating as our gods. In order to commit fully to following God, we often need to do an inventory and get rid of some things.
Personal Worship Option:
Thank you, God, for all the things you give us. Help us to know what is good and important and what is holding us back. Then give us the courage to get rid of habits, possessions, and relationships that get in our way so we can love you and live for you more fully. Amen
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