Choose This Day

What do you do while you are mopping the floors or washing the dishes? Do you sing to yourself or makes plans for later in the day? Well, I've recently decided that I need to use that time to chat with God. It's been eye opening for me and it's helped me get closer to Him.

Yesterday, I was mopping the floor and praying over some things that were burdening my heart. One of those things is my daughter Sarah. The night before, she had a bad attitude and Daniel and I had to punish her. She didn't want to be in time out and started talking back. Her mouth just wouldn't stop. Finally God turned on a light bulb for me. Sarah had to make a choice. Who was she going to serve?

I asked her point blank if she felt that her actions were serving God. She answered "No, but you...". We stopped her right there told her there were no buts. She had to make a choice. Would she honor her parents and God with her actions or would she honor Satan by continuing to talk back and be disrespectful. It took a few times of asking her the question before she acknowledged that no amounts of ifs, ands and buts would change the fact that her behaviour was not honoring God or us.

So, while I was mopping, I felt God pushing me to go read in the bible. I didn't know where until he showed me Joshua. I thought he wanted me to to straight to Joshua 24:15 - Choose this day whom you will serve... But, he had another plan. I started reading Chapter One and then two and finally stopped at chapter six. There is so many things in Joshua that we can learn from. Below are the points that God gave me to think on...

• Joshua 1:5 - No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you: I will never leave you or forsake you. ------Daniel and I have had a tough start to our marriage. For those of you who know us, you know we've had a lifetime of major events rolled up into the last two years. But one thing never changed through all of that - God was at our side and never left us. He's been there to comfort us and to make us stronger. He's sharpened us as only he can do. Without him, Daniel and I could not have made it.
• Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. -------This hit home with me. It was terrifying for me to stand up to my family, knowing that once again I would be unofficially disowned for good. Not only that, but I had to call my Dad on some of his behaviour and it was hard. For the last 4 years or so, he's put on a victim mentality regarding the relationship he has with my mom, grandmother and siblings. I had to face the fact that all of his words were just that - words. Standing up to him and truly seeing him for who he is was not only hard, but disheartening. But God called me forth to do so and I can only trust him. I have to admit, I don't feel that I was courageous or strong. But I do know that God honored my obedience and he was with me every step of the way.
• Joshua 2:11 - When we heard of it, our hearts melted and every one's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. ------Now isn't that reassuring. This refers to the miracles that God did when leading Joshua and his people to take down Jericho. Rahab told the spies how God's work melted their hearts and destroyed the enemies courage. That's my God. He is the God of heaven and earth and each day I want to remember that.
• Joshua 6:25 - But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her because she had hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho - and she lives among the Israelites to this day. ------ God keeps his promises to us. Because of Rahab's faith , she saved her entire family.