Yielding into Submisison

In the last days of Joshua's life, he poured out his life before the people to urge them to serve the Lord, as they had been serving foreign gods. In Joshua 24:18, the prophet recalled "the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God." The people realized the great things that God had already done, and yielded themselves into serving the Lord as they recognized what He had already done for them.

God has Done Great Things

We only need to reflect on what God has already done for us if we ever doubt His powerful love for us. In Joshua 24:17, the people reflect that "it was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled." Even though the people engaged in sin, they still remembered the great things that the Lord had already done for them. Even when we stray off of the path that God has set for us, we cannot forget or deny the great things that He has already done for us.

Responding to the Word

Most self-help books and programs start with an admission that there is a problem; the rationale is that you cannot address a problem until you admit that there is a problem; the same is true with sin. In Joshua 24: 16, "the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!" Joshua received a word from the Lord to warn the people to put away their false gods and serve the Lord; instead of repentance, their response was of denial. When the Word comes forth with a warning, we should acknowledge our sin, repent immediately, and turn away from it for good.

Choosing to Serve the Lord

Our God is truly almighty and all-powerful; yet even in his infinite power, He loves us enough to give us the choice to serve Him. In Joshua 24:15, the prophet declares to the people "if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond 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." Joshua declared to the people his choice to serve the Lord, not only for himself, but for his entire household. As people of God, we have the choice to serve the Lord, but we must remember that our choice affects more than just ourselves but may impact our entire household, in this generation and the generations to come.

Sin's Expiration

Every perishable product has a visible expiration date printed in a prominent place on the package, so the consumer will know when it has outlived its time of usefulness. When that date passes, it usually is a good idea to throw it out, as consuming it may be harmful to the consumer. In Joshua 24: 14 , the prophet declares to the people"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord." God has delivered us from our old sinful ways, just as he delivered the Israelites from their old ways of serving other gods. As Joshua urged the people to throw away the gods of their forefathers, God is now encouraging us to throw away the sinful nature of our past.

Don't be fooled

In today's society, a person's knowledge is assumed by the level of education they have obtained through their diplomas, degrees, and certifications. In 1 Corinthians 3:18, Paul writes "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise." Regardless of your level of education, we all are able to be counted wise when we become a "fool" for Christ.

Do Not Destroy!

Most believers are aware the the church is God's house; it is holy ground and should be set apart for God's use. In 1 Corinthians 3:17, Paul writes "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." It is not enough for us to take care of the physical house of God; we must also take care of and protect our own bodies, as they are the temples of God. Just was we would never destroy the house of God, we must protect our bodies from destruction as well, as they are sacred temples for God's spirit to dwell.

God's Temples

Many people believe that their bodies are their own, and they are able to do whatever they want with them. As believers in Christ, our view of our bodies differ from the world's perspective. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul writes "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" The Spirit of God lives in us, as our bodies house that Spirit. Considering that we are not our own, we must be mindful of what we put into our bodies and the things that we do with our bodies, as they are truly the temples of God.

Working on Purpose

Each person who works in ministry should be working towards one purpose: building up the kingdom of God. In 1 Corinthians 3:8-9, Paul writes "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." As God's co-laborers, our primary purpose for ministry, using our gifts in the capacity that God allows us to work, is to build up His kingdom. We will surely be rewarded according to our own labor as we have worked to accomplish this goal.

Plant the Seed

When God has given the man or woman of God a word for His people, He may have others to plant, water, and nurture the seed of the word that He has already ordained for His people. In 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, Paul writes "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." Even though Paul had a great love for the people, he realized that he had a specific purpose in his ministry, to plant the seed of the word, as God is the one who provides the increase.

Are You Ready?

When the man or woman of God preaches the Word, he or she must craft the message, as led by the Spirit, to an audience with a broad range of maturity. In 1 Corinthians 3:2-3, Paul writes "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?" Paul wanted to teach the word as God had given him, but as most pastors today, he realized that they were simply not ready for the word. Consider the new level of liberty, joy, peace, and so many other benefits of the word that you may be missing out on simply because you are not ready.

Babies in Christ

Children are rarely exposed to the whole truth because they are unable to handle the brutal details of many situations. In 1 Corinthians 3:1, Paul writes "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ." Paul had a desire to address the church as mature Christians, but was not able to do so because they were still babies in Christ; mature in their age and stature, but immature in their faith. As we begin this week, consider areas in which God is urging us to grow up.

Great Things

At times, walking in the calling that God has ordained for us can be quite challenging. It can be uncomfortable at times, but well worth the trouble. In 1 Corinthians 2:9-11, Paul writes "No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. But God has revealed it to us by His spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." God has great things in store for those who are obedient to his will. When this life becomes uncomfortable, it will not become unbearable, as God has already given us the wisdom to get through every situation.

If Only You Knew

Wisdom, for many people, is the ability to analyze a situation and make the best decision based on their knowledge and experience. In 1 Corinthians 2:8, Paul writes "None of the rulers of this world perceived and recognized God's wisdom, for if they had, they would have never crucified the Lord of Glory." The birth, life, and death of Christ were all ordained before the foundation of the world, as God knew that man would need a Savior. The rulers of the world at the time of Christ thought they acted wisely by crucifying Christ, when the opposite was true. Contrary to the wisdom of the world, God's wisdom does not depend on knowledge or experience; it depends on faith.

Secret Wisdom

So many aspects of our world advocate and demands us to seek after more knowledge and information. The more information that someone is able to obtain, the wiser they are often considered by those around them. In 1 Corinthians 2:7, Paul writes "We speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began." God has already provided a secret wisdom for those who follow him. God's wisdom may appear to be foolishness to those who are wise in the world, but God's secret wisdom that has been hidden from the world, gives us strength and builds up our faith.

God's Wisdom

Wisdom is considered of great value, but oftentimes, God does things that simply don't make sense to those who are considered wise in this world. In 1 Corinthians 2:6, Paul writes "We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing." Those who are wise in the ways of this world may not understand the reasoning of the Christian faith. They may call our faith foolishness, but God continues to speak His word of wisdom into the lives of His people, which makes being called foolish well worth it.