Foundation Check

Scripture: Joshua 24:31
"31 The people of Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him—those who had personally experienced all that the Lord had done for Israel."

Observations:
The official end of the conquest of the Promises Land closes with a call from Joshua for all of God's people to rededicate themselves to the covenant and pledge their loyalty again to the Lord and His commands. While their intentions may have been good, the writer alludes to the fact that the Israelites as a whole only served God through the lifetime of Joshua and the elders who had served with him, indicating that their alliegence to the Lord was about to falter in the near future. The writer also points out that those who remained faithful did so because they had "personally experienced" the things God first hand. This seems to suggest that one of the main reasons many Israelites compromised God's commands and turned away from Him was because the generation that followed failed to establish a personal relationship with God. 

Application:
The thing that will keep you committed to God for the long haul is a personal relationship with God- nothing more, nothing less. Regardless of whether or not we have someone there to lead us, God never intended for our relationship with Him to be based on anyone or anything but Him. We always set ourselves up for failure and disobedience to God when we allow our faith to become dependent on people or circumstances. The moment our relationship with Christ becomes anything but a real, personal experience with Goid and His Word, just like the Israelites we set ourselves up for compromise and spiritual failure.  

Prayer:
Father, we acknowlege our complete dependence on You today.  May our relationship with You always be a real, daily experience as we encounter the truth of Your Word and allow it to shape the course of our lives. Amen. 



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