Making Choices

Today's passage comes from the OT, in the book of Joshua, starting at verse 14 - 15.
"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served behond the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord".
Sometimes when we are given choices, we make instant decisions without giving much thought or prayer to the matter, and we end up getting out of God's will. He needs to be involved in every aspect of our life, and although some choices might sound good to the natural, we need to take the matter to the Lord and let him talk over with us the pros and cons, and how it will affect us not only in the physical sense, but most importantly, the spiritual sense.
The "rivers and Egypt" in today's verses represent to us in this day, our former lives before we came to know the Lord. The "land of the Amorites" represents the world and it's viewpoints. We made choices and served other things without letting God be in the center of them. Most of those decisions were selfish ones - with our god being SELF. What is most important - to live the standards of the world or by God's standards and his will? I want to grab hold of the verse where it says, "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord". No matter what situation I am put in, as long as that is my mindset - I know the Lord will be with me and walk me through anything as long as I allow him to be involved.
I was given a choice yesterday whether or not to go back to my old position in the working world. The offer they made me was good, and all the things I said I would have to have were so I could lay out all the pros and cons of the situation not only with my husband, but most importantly, before the Lord. My main goal for the rest of the time I have here on earth is to put God first in every decision I make, no matter how big or small. I want to be in the center of his perfect will, and be at peace with the choices I make in my life.
I know in allowing the Lord to be at the center of this, I will have his peace with my decision.
I pray today that if you're at a place in your life where you need to "choose this day whom you will serve" - you will choose the Lord. If you don't know him, it's as easy as just talking to him to let him know you choose to let him into your life - to be the Lord of your life and save you from your sin and your inability to live without him in the center of your life.
He will never steer you in the wrong direction - his will is perfect, and he wants only GOOD for you. He says in the book of Jeremiah, "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". Jeremiah 29:11
Today, put your life in God's hands - there is nothing too big or too small for him - he can and will help you with every choice you're faced with, and he's just waiting for you to ask him for his help.

Have a blessed Thursday...

Janelle