the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
John Gossner's Treasury
I am continually with thee. Psalms 73:23. God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods. Joshua 24:16. Ah children that are corrupters! they have forsaken the Lord. Isaiah 1:4.
When Joshua had led the children of Israel into the promised land, holding the last public gathering, he said among other things to the people, "Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth. And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord choose you this day whom ye will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the god of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. " And the people answered and said, "God forbid that we should forsake the Lord. " Joshua pressed them still harder, saying, "Ye cannot serve the Lord, for He is an holy God. " And as the people reiterated their statement, he said, ’’Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord. Now therefore put away the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord. " Pause here, beloved, and meditate thoroughly upon this whole narrative (Josh. 24), and ask your heart if it be inclined to the Lord, or if it clings to other gods beside the Lord. For this perverse people departed later nearly always from the Lord. A promise is soon given; but we must examine ourselves to see if we have the strength to keep it. We must not promise that which we are unable to perform. We must ask the Lord humbly and with constant zeal to draw our hearts to Himself, to keep it steadfastly with Himself, and to bestow upon us faithfulness and steadfastness to the end. Grand and beautiful is the declaration of Joshua that he, irrespective of what the people would do, freely and loudly confesses himself, together with his whole house, as being on the Lord’s side. Thus steadfastly must your heart cling to the Lord whether one or no one share your mind, concur with you or not. Cling with your whole house to the Lord even though the whole world serve strange gods.
Lord, be mine this prize to win:
Guide me through a world of sin;
Keep me by Thy saving grace;
Give me at Thy side a place.
Sun and Shield alike Thou art;
Guide and guard my erring heart.
Grace and glory flow from Thee;
Shower, O shower them, Lord, on me!
