March 31st | Joshua 24

At the end of his life, Joshua gathered the people of Israel for a final farewell address. He recounted their history, reminding them of God’s unwavering faithfulness. In Joshua 24:13, God declares that He is the one who gave them the land, cities, and vineyards—gifts they had not earned. This truth set the stage for Joshua’s powerful challenge in verses 14-15:

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness... choose this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

This moment stands out in Scripture. Throughout the Old Testament, God is the one who chooses—He chose Abraham, He led His people out of Egypt, He actively pursued them. Yet here, Joshua presents a choice to the people. Will they follow God wholeheartedly, or will they turn to other gods?

The people responded with enthusiasm, declaring their commitment to serve the Lord. But Joshua’s reply in verse 19 is striking:

“You are not able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God.”

This response wasn’t meant to discourage them, but to reveal the weight of their commitment. God’s holiness demands complete devotion—He doesn’t want just a part of our hearts, but all of them.

This challenge reminds us of what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “costly grace” in The Cost of Discipleship. Too often, we present grace as something cheap—a free ticket to heaven with no call to transformation. But grace is costly. It cost Jesus His life. Bonhoeffer wrote,

“Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ…Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

True grace isn’t an excuse to live however we want; it’s an invitation to surrender everything and follow Him.

Jesus described the kingdom of heaven as a treasure hidden in a field—so valuable that a man sold everything to obtain it (Matthew 13:44). When Jesus called His disciples, He didn’t offer a comfortable life—He told them to leave their nets behind and follow Him. Following Jesus is not about securing “fire insurance” for the afterlife; it’s about daily picking up our cross and walking with Him.

So today, Joshua’s challenge echoes to us: Who will you serve? Will you settle for a shallow faith, or will you surrender everything to follow Jesus? We cannot do this in our own strength. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we truly serve and love God with our whole hearts.

As Joshua boldly declared, may we also say: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”