DCLM Daily Manna Friday 12 April 2024 

TOPIC:  A Wholesome Consecration

TEXT: JOSHUA 24:14-25 
¹⁴ Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

¹⁵ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

¹⁶ And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;

¹⁷ For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

¹⁸ And the Lord drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God.

¹⁹ And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

²⁰ If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

²¹ And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord.

²² And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

²³ Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.

²⁴ And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

²⁵ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

KEY VERSE
 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”
(Joshua 24:15).

DCLM Daily Manna Friday 12 April 2024 MESSAGE

At 16, environmental activist Jadav “Molai” Payeng saw hundreds of dead snakes, the victims of a major drought occurring on Majuli Reserve – the world’s largest river island located in the Brahmaputra River in India. Even at such a young age, he knew that someone had to do something. So, in 1979, at 16-years old, he started planting a tree sapling a day in the barren soil. Now over 40 years later, his forest covers 1,390 acres—approximately the size of 15 football stadiums. Jadav left behind his formal education to give all his attention to the forest. His consecration “I’ll plant till my last breath” saw it all.

READ DCLM Daily Manna Thursday 11 April 2024 – The Rash Vow

That kind of exemplary consecration to a worthy cause, which will always make a difference in life and ministry is what we find in the life of Joshua. In this passage, the children of Israel were excited at this time, having defeated all their enemies and settled in the Promised Land. But it was also a tempting time for them, given the possibility of forgetting God and adopting the idolatrous lifestyles of their Canaan neighbours. Hence, Joshua called them to ponder on God’s faithfulness right from the Patriarchs’ time and confronted them to either choose to serve God exclusively or the gods of the Amorites while declaring his own personal resolve to serve the Lord with his household. Their promise to cleave unto the Lord made Joshua to make a covenant with the people that day.

It is often very easy for people to make promises to serve God, only to renege and return to their old ways due to challenges. Are you fully persuaded about your decision to follow the Lord to the end? Our commitment to serve God should be for our lifetime, with no strings attached.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
 A wholesome consecration is one that can stand the test of time.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PSALMS 72-77