Fence Straddling

"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:14-15).

In spite of their promises of allegiance to God at Mt. Sinai, apparently some of the Israelites had reserved room in their suitcases for their old gods. Why would they do that? Perhaps they were just trying to cover all the bases. You know, in case this “God in heaven” thing doesn’t work out? Maybe they were finding it difficult to distance themselves completely from ancestral worship traditions. After all, to totally abandon these other gods might reflect badly on grandpa and grandma. Whatever the reason, Joshua challenges the people to quit straddling the fence. Make a choice! Pick a deity and put away the rest! Divided loyalties always result in lukewarm devotion.

But its so hard to loosen our grip on the old gods in our lives, isn’t it? Perhaps our “god” is a sinful attitude or action that we continue to nurture. Maybe it’s a relationship we encourage even when know better. It could be a sinful desire in our heart that we never fully eradicate. But whatever it is, it is a “god” that competes with our professed loyalty to the true God.

It can be very difficult to make a clean break from the past. But it is absolutely vital if we want to have a close relationship with the one and only true God. It was the Son of God Himself who clearly said: “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). The call of Joshua echoes down through the centuries to each of us today. Make a choice. Don’t straddle the fence.

God loves you!
Mike