We come to the final chapter of Joshua, Joshua 24. After reading it, I found myself curiously and troublingly filled with anxiety. Reading Scripture sometimes bruises my heart. Reading my devotionals, I found myself clinging to the passages of reassurance which I will share here later. I realized my angst was because reading about the unfaithfulness that I know will come unsettles me. I need help to read Scripture with the Lord guiding me. I want so badly to stay on the path with Him and His love leading me. I asked Him to help me, to be my Spiritual director. He knows the way to be with Him and there, I am on solid ground.

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. 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.” v. 14-15. A fork in the road.

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!” v. 16.

In this final chapter of Joshua, Joshua and Eleazar, son of Aaron, have died. They have been faithful followers of God and their living faith was a blessing to the people. They chose their path of following and loving God and allowing Him to lead them. Now the choice rests in the hearts of the people, as it always has rested for each of us.

What about us? From Hearing God by Dallas Willard, this Scripture reference: When you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13.

Yesterday…For the word of God is alive and active. Hebrews 4:12.

From Jesus Calling: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10. I needed that this morning!

From The Chosen 40 Days with Jesus Book Three: I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 2 Corinthians 2:3-5.

Reading further in the last Scripture reference: The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. That is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 1 Corinthians 2:10-13. Spirit taught.

For, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” (Isaiah 40:13) But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16.

God reminded me He is right here with me and He goes before me. His love lights the path I seek to walk with Him. Here with Him, I am on solid ground. Scripture is filled with accounts of people who choose the other fork in the road and all we need to do in this day and age is watch the news, bruising our hearts. As our pastor told us yesterday in church, stop pointing fingers and judging everyone else. It’s not our job to judge anyone else. Let that go. Jesus didn’t. He didn’t condemn. He touched sinners like you and me and healed their physical infirmities and I suspect, their hearts as well. Let God be God. He alone is worthy to judge and He doesn’t judge to condemn but to save….to bring love that heals to every one of us if we would just let Him.

So I look for the path in the fork in the road well lit by God’s love and wisdom. I follow Him. I will follow Him forever.