As I walked along the trail enjoying the warmth of the sun, I searched for signs of spring. While I saw a few trees starting to bud, my attention was captured by the wildlife. My path led me parallel with a stream, where a pair of geese stretched their necks and then settled in for a rest. Lining a log in the middle of the stream was at least a dozen turtles sunning themselves. Several mallards swam in the cool waters. The velvety green head of the male mallard has always captured my attention. There were several groups swimming along and most looked like they had already paired off, except for one small group. In this group, one female swam between two males, and my thought was, “I wonder which one she will choose?” She is not alone in having to choose.

Addressing the children of Israel before his death, Joshua begins by recounting to them their history and God’s deliverance to the promised land. Bringing them out of Egypt, He delivered enemies into their hand. Joshua reminds them God “led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet.” (Deuteronomy 29:5) He provided manna and water to sustain them until they enjoyed the fruits of the promised land. God met their every need. He also laid out the steps to take Jericho and following His plan, the Israelites soon had possession of the promised land. Now at the end of his life and the people having settled in their land, Joshua challenges them to make a choice.

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond 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.” (Joshua 24:14-15)

Seeing God’s blessing and His faithful care for them, how could Israel choose anything other than following God and serving Him faithfully? However, as their story continues, we know how difficult it was for Israel to remain faithful to God. The people were in a constant cycle of worshipping other gods and falling into sin, facing God’s punishment, repenting and returning to God only to repeat the cycle. In making daily choices, sometimes they chose to follow their own path into sin rather than following God.

Each day we are faced with similar choices. We can make unwise choices that lead to sin, or we can choose a life of following God. The choice seems obvious. Obvious, maybe, but not so easy. The pleasures of sin lure us in and draw us away from God. Sometimes we are in the midst of sinful behavior before we even realize we have let our guard down. The path of sin leads to misery and heartache. Thankfully, God draws us back offering mercy and grace as we return with a heart of repentance.

Sometimes the path to following God is hard. We have to consciously choose to resist the lure of temptation and reject sin. In choosing to follow God, we may experience times of uncertainty or following Him may take us through times of difficulty. People around us may not like our choice to follow Jesus and give us a hard time because of it. However, even when the path to following God seems difficult, we will find it becomes easy.

When you follow God in sincerity and faithfulness, you will find Him faithful. You will experience God’s presence, peace, and an overflowing joy as He leads you and guides you in your life’s journey. You will find the more you live in obedience to God the more you will want to live in obedience to God. As you walk with God, your fellowship with Him will grow sweeter, your trust in Him will grow stronger, and you will find choosing God is not hard. Choosing God becomes easy because it draws you to Him.

So, what is your choice today? “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”