"And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God and obey him". Joshua 24:24 NIV
I hold the door open while the dogs decide whether they want in or out. Sometimes, they just stand there halfway in and halfway out. They want to see if the grass is greener on the other side of the door. If it’s raining too hard, they back in in disappointment. Eventually, they have to make a decision.
Just like the dogs, we want to access our options. Joshua asked the people of Israel to do the same thing. In Joshua 24, all the tribes of Israel were called together and presented to the Lord. The Lord spoke through Joshua reminding them of their past. He told how he was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and how he had brought them out of Egypt and slavery. He spoke of the Red Sea and the walls of Jericho and the victories they had achieved with God on their side. Joshua told them to fear the Lord and throw away any false gods their ancestors had worshipped. He summed it up with, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”. The whole assembly responded by saying in verse 18, “We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God”.
God doesn’t want us to serve him half-heartedly. He wants us to be all in. Colossians 3:17 states, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:13 that, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”. It is pretty clear that he wants our whole heart. Revelation 3:15 states, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!”. God wants his people all in.
Jesus came to earth as a baby. He grew and lived an earthly life, willingly giving up his heavenly home. He was betrayed, denied, beaten, and killed for us. He was all in for God’s salvation plan. He tells us in Matthew 22:37 to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. That’s how God loves you!
Being half-hearted is not acceptable to a God that gave his all for you!
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Just Another Dog Devotion 