WE Will Serve The Lord

Joshua knew his end was coming. He had a few last things he wanted to say. One of the most powerful is found in Joshua 24:15.

Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)
15  And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Choose whom you will serve. Select whom will get your passion, devotion, love and service. What will or whom will you devote yourself to worship? You have a choice. Each day you have a choice whom you will serve. Many choose idolatry. Things like football. 

I recently had a teacher tell me, "You would be proud of your son." I asked why? She replied, "Because all he talks about is football." I looked at her sadly and commented, "That does not make me proud. I'd prefer he talked about Jesus."

Football can be an idol as well as basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball and all the rest. People bow down and worship at the shrine of BALL. It doesn't matter what kind of ball it is. They worship it. My heart warmed when last week our varsity football team broke out of the huddle to, "GLORY TO GOD!" That is something I did with some of those athletes who are now sophomores coaching them when they were youngsters. That is something promoted by our former head coach Scott Broussard. It's more than a motto. It is a choice. It's a way of living. It is a philosophy that carries well beyond the gridiron. It's the choice to glorify and serve God whether playing a sport, working in the classroom or on our jobs. 

It is a choice. A choice whom we will serve. Whom we will worship in other words. Whom we will work for. 

Joshua minced no words. He declared, "As for me and my house we will serve the LORD." I've read that verse numerous times. I saw something that hit me like no other time reading it. It was the two  letter word we. WE will serve the Lord. 

In my home Brenda and I made up our minds to serve God as teenagers. Far from perfect we have failed but not wavered in our desire to worship and serve Him. It was and is our prayer that the our boys would do the same. It is hard to call them boys. They have grown into young men. Three in college. One in high school. All old enough to make their own choices. I can't make it for them. 

I constantly challenge them about having devotions. I constantly challenge them about their love for God and devotion to Him. Success for me is that Brenda and I along with our sons and their future families will serve Jesus. We desire the Edwards name, which was not a good name where I grew up, would stand for generations of Edwards people serving Jesus unashamedly. 

That means much more to me than my prodigy and their families just attending worship services. I want them to actually worship. I want their lives to match their words of following Jesus. I want them to hunger for God more than for wins on the field or money in the bank. I want them to be more passionate for Jesus than anything else in their lives. 

WE will serve the LORD. We together. We as a family. We as an extended family when Brenda and I have  grandchildren and possibly live long enough to have great grandchildren. 

Earlier this morning I noticed a picture Brenda hung over my chest. In the picture a father is sitting with his two children with an open Bible on his lap. In the background are vidid scenes from the Bible come to life. Brenda bought that for me years ago because she said it reminded her of when I used to sit down and have devotions with the boys. They are older now. They have to make their own choices. They choose to meet with God. Or they choose to neglect their time with Him. I can't do it for them anymore. I tried to model it for them. I taught them how to do it on their own. Now it their choice. 

It is not enough that I pastor a church, travel the land preaching where God opens doors and write for Him and His glory. If my sons, my grandchildren and great grandchildren do not serve Jesus also I failed miserably along the way. 

My declaration today is that WE will serve the Lord together as a family. We will worship. We will love Jesus. We will follow Him. We will labor for Him. We will devote ourselves to His causes. WE are in this together. 

I once wrote a mission statement for the boys. What I desired for them when they grew up. Here it is. Jesus I pray you make my boys warrior poets who will give their lives to You their king and Your kingdom. May it be so Jesus. May it be so.