AS FOR ME

How do we stand for God?

Ps Josiah Leeke | Noosa Church

Here we are!! The end of the book of Joshua and the eve of Youth Camp 2025. We can’t wait to spend the next few days gathering and worshiping together in faithful expectation of a genuine move of God. At the end of Joshua 22 the tribe of Rueben and Gad name the altar they had created as a witness. “For it is a witness between us that the Lord is God” (Joshua 22:34). It was a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness & loving-kindness for generations to come.

In the same way, we are called to make an altar of our own very lives, that we would be a witness of God’s power & goodness for the generations to come and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). As the great leader, Joshua, entered his final days, his heart was stirred with compassion for the children of Israel. He could not bear the idea that after his witness passed, the people might turn away from God. In these final chapters, Joshua gathers the leaders of all the tribes of Israel and urges them to stay the course and serve the Lord - even if no one else is willing.

Consider in your own life these three pleas from Joshua to stand firm in worship of God.

• Joshua 23:6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left:”

Walking away from God doesn’t happen in a moment. Rather, it’s the little sidesteps, distractions and attractions that lure us off the path of righteousness. As young Christians, it is crucial that we lock eyes with Jesus as we pursue Him daily. The moment our gaze slips, our gait follows and we begin to turn from God. Joshua says we maintain course by courageously and carefully obeying the Word of God – even if we are alone.

• Joshua 23:14 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”

With Joshua’s (near) dying breaths, he impresses upon the people to consider the faithfulness of God. That not one Word from God, not one promise had ever failed. We are told to ‘know’ this deeply – on both a heart and soul level. It’s one thing to know of the goodness of God. It’s another to know it personally. As you read this, some of you already hold personal testimonies of God’s love & power at work in your life. You hold onto these as a witness, so that when you are tempted to doubt you are reminded of God’s character. Some of you are still waiting to see the promise fulfilled. I encourage you to be patient and filled with expectancy and faith that God will answer. “For no word from God will ever fail” (Luke 1:37).

• Joshua 24:14-15 “Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Finally - fear the Lord.

Foster a deep reverence, awe and respect for God’s power, holiness, and authority. Throw away the gods of your ancestors. The strongholds of your parents. The addictions of your past. The sins of your bloodline. The idols of your generation. The vices, habits and possessions that demand your attention, your substance and your vitality. Draw a line in the sand and place the things of this world on one side and Jesus on the other – and choose today where you will stand. No longer is there allowance to live with a foot in both camps. A house divided can not stand. Choose for yourself this day whom you will serve. Be the generation that declares, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”