Written by Paul Lane
The Word
“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and do away with the gods which your fathers served beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.”
“The people answered and said, ‘Far be it form us that we would abandon the Lord to serve other gods; for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves, and did these great signs in our sight and watched over us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.’”
Joshua 24:14, 16-17
“Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person (soul).”
Genesis 2:7
Reflection
Three Questions:
- Have you ever been caught in the act and then promised you would never do it again?
- What is it that keeps you from repeating bad behavior?
- Which is better for breaking bad habits, internal will or external limits?
Reading Joshua Chapter 24, I am struck by the people’s reaction to Joshua’s direction. Caught with a false faith, they are giving the “no, we’ll never do it again” defense, topped off with the old “Well, with God doing all this great stuff for us, how could we possibly deny Him… again?” Joshua tells them to put away the false gods, stop being influenced by the locals, and be the people God intended them to be. He also challenges them on their belief. He also says, “you can’t worship God because He is too Holy for you.” This is not exactly the best sales pitch, but Joshua is at the end of his life and he’s not playing games. He is just laying it out, and perhaps hoping that these beautiful creatures that God made will spring up in faith.
Consider the last time you were faced with a big challenge. What did you feel? Did you feel overwhelmed, out match, and not fit for the task? Probably. But if you took the time to listen, I’d bet you also felt something deep inside saying, “I can do this.” It was probably a small confident voice that was struggling to be heard. It is a voice easily silenced without faith or hope.
Man was made from dust, which crumbles and can easily be blown by the wind. But Man was also made from the breath of God, and it is out of this breath that this “can do” voice speaks. It is the spirit of man raising up to the challenge, and it is faith that is needed to allow this voice to come out. If your faith views God as a Santa Claus that just give you things, your faith will be challenged and that “can do” voice will be quieter. But if your faith sees God as someone who is passionately working on you, passionately remaking you, that voice will well up inside you and push you forward. I can’t promise Olympic metals or a summer home in Tahiti, but I can say that the peace of understanding that the Lord is working in your life is above it all. Indeed, the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and grace.
Application
Think on the three questions. Bring to mind a previous time you struggled to overcome a bad behavior or habit. Meditate on how you overcame. Confession, acceptance of responsibility, and prayers for restoration, are all good things to consider in this regard.
Prayer
Dear Father in heaven, I pray for your attention and grace. There are things that I do, which I do not want to do, but it is difficult to change. Grant me your grace to acknowledge my shortcomings and to overcome them. Restore me to the path of your honor and glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
City Life Starter 
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