Joshua 24:15   ‘If it seem evil unto 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 gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The great American civil rights leader Martin Luther King was just 26 years old when he was appointed leader of the civil rights campaign in Montgomery, Alabama. However despite being young he was a person of tremendous courage. He endured vilification, beatings, imprisonments, death threats, his house was firebombed. What kept him going was his strong sense of God’s call upon his life. King Apart from receiving terrifying threats from the Ku Klux Klan, was harassed by police. Arrested for driving 5 miles per hour over the speed limit he was given his first stint in jail. The night after his release he was at home when the phone rang and a menacing voice on the other end, threatened to kill him and burn his house if he didn’t leave the town within three days. On hearing this, King was unnerved and very afraid – for himself, for his wife and for his little children. As he pondered on the threat, he realized that on his own he was weak, he knew he needed God to help him. so he bowed his head in prayer and said ‘Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right. I think I’m right. I think the cause we represent is right. But Lord, I must confess that I’m weak now. I’m faltering. I’m losing my courage..’

And it seemed to him that moment that he could hear the voice of The Lord saying to him, ‘Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo, I will be with you, even until the end of the world.’ Feeling greatly strengthened he refused to give in to the threat to live the town. And three nights later the menacing threat made in the phone call came true: a bomb exploded on the front verandah of the King home. Thankfully no one was hurt. But King was able to get through it: His experience in prayer a few nights before had given him the strength to face it. And throughout his ministry Martin Luther King often returned to that experience to strengthen him as he faced terrible difficulties. 

We may never be faced with such extreme life threatening choices. But in our everyday lives we are faced with similar pressures. In our daily lives in the workplace and in our association with this world  do we pay any price to stand up for what is right or do we choose to compromise?

In Joshua 24:15, Joshua addressed all the tribes of Israel saying: “…If it seem evil unto 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 gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”.

We must choose always to do what is right and stand up for the truth, despite whatever pressure the enemy may mount against us. It is not always easy to stand up for what is right. When we stand for the truth, the enemy will fight us. But we must not cower in the face of the enemy’s threat. When we choose to obey God and do what is right, we glorify God and He releases divine assistance to us as a result. Indeed when we are weak, God will be strong for us. When we choose to obey God above all, we will sometimes sacrifice our comfort, the opinions of others, and our social standing. People may reject us, ridicule us, and despise us for our faith. However, when we love God we must be willing to pay the price of following Him at all costs. Nothing should be able to separate us from the love of God; not tribulations or trials, or heights or depths. When you love God you must be willing to give up everything to follow the one you love and serve Him totally.

 PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always choose You above all else. No matter the temptation I am faced with, may I never compromise my faith, may I always stand up for the truth in Jesus Name.

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Your attitude always determines  your altitude in life

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