Choosing Who We Will Serve: A Call to Remember God's Faithfulness

Choosing Who We Will Serve: A Call to Remember God's Faithfulness

The transition from Thanksgiving Thursday to Black Friday shopping presents an interesting cultural phenomenon. We gather around tables, expressing gratitude for our blessings, only to wake up hours later in pursuit of more possessions. This pattern reveals something deeper about human nature—our tendency to quickly forget what truly matters and chase after things that promise fulfillment but ultimately leave us empty.

The Power of Sacred Remembrance

There are places in our lives that hold sacred significance—locations where God met us, spoke to us, or changed our trajectory forever. Shechem was such a place for the Israelites. It was where God first appeared to Abraham and promised, "To your offspring I will give this land." Centuries later, the people gathered there again, not by accident, but by divine design. Sometimes we need to return to those sacred spaces, those moments of promise, to remember who God is and what He has done.

When we forget our spiritual origins, we lose our bearings. The Israelites needed to remember that their forefather Abraham didn't start out following the one true God. He came from a family of polytheists who worshiped multiple deities beyond the Euphrates River. There was nothing inherently special about Abraham that earned God's favor. God simply chose him by grace.

This truth echoes through Scripture and into our own lives: "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace." We weren't seeking God; He was seeking us. We didn't choose Him first; He chose us. Understanding this transforms everything about how we view ourselves and our purpose.

The Attraction of Modern Idols

Why do people worship idols? What makes false gods attractive? Human nature gravitates toward the tangible and visible over the intangible and invisible. We prefer things we can see, touch, and control. Ancient peoples carved images from wood, decorated them with silver and gold, and convinced themselves these objects could hear their prayers and grant their wishes.

The prophet Jeremiah compared idols to scarecrows in a cucumber patch—inanimate objects that create the illusion of competence but can do absolutely nothing. They cannot speak, walk, or help. Yet people carried them around, bowed before them, and placed their hope in them.

Today's idols look different, but the principle remains the same. Our household gods are no longer made of clay—they're our smartphones, televisions, careers, bank accounts, social status, brand names, and vehicles. These things promise contentment, success, health, and happiness. They whisper that material means can meet all human needs.

The God of materialism says, "This is what you need." The God of convenience demands, "Your way, right away, right now." And ultimately, these false deities feed the God of narcissism, which declares, "I deserve this. It's all about me."

We may not deny God entirely, but we compartmentalize Him. We acknowledge Him on Sunday mornings while spending the rest of the week pursuing what we believe will truly make us happy. Without realizing it, we live as practical polytheists.

God's Sovereign Plan and Provision

The journey of God's people from Abraham to the Promised Land reveals a crucial truth: God's plans unfold according to His timeline, not ours. Abraham never saw the fulfillment of God's promise. Neither did Isaac, Jacob, or Joseph. They were all part of the plan, but none lived to see its completion.

Four hundred years of bondage in Egypt seemed like a detour, perhaps even a mistake. But God knew the Amorites' iniquity hadn't yet reached its full measure. His timing was perfect, even when it made no sense to those living through it.

Many of us can relate. We pray for something specific, asking, "When, God? When will you show up?" We make plans, convinced we know the best path forward, only to encounter closed doors and unexpected delays. Looking back years later, we recognize God's sovereignty and protection in those very moments we thought He was withholding good from us.

The Exodus story illustrates God's comprehensive provision. "I sent Moses and Aaron. I defeated Egypt. I brought you out. I put darkness between you and the Egyptians. I brought the sea over them." Notice the repeated emphasis: I, I, I. God didn't need Israel's help to accomplish His purposes. He sent leaders when they needed guidance. He defeated enemies they couldn't overcome. He provided manna in the wilderness and terror in the hearts of their adversaries.

When Israel finally crossed the Jordan and began conquering the land, God reminded them: "It was not by your sword or your bow." Their victories came from His hand, not their military prowess.

The Call to Wholehearted Devotion

After recounting God's faithfulness through generations, the challenge comes: "Therefore, fear the Lord and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord."

This call demands wholehearted, blameless devotion. Not compartmentalized faith. Not Sunday-morning Christianity paired with Monday-through-Saturday materialism. Complete, sincere, truthful worship that permeates every aspect of life.

The warning about Egyptian gods reveals something shocking—even while experiencing God's miraculous deliverance, the Israelites were offering sacrifices to goat demons. They were hedging their bets, keeping backup gods just in case. They were prone to wander, always looking for new idols or returning to old ones.

We face the same temptation. Will we worship the true living God, or will we divide our devotion among the false promises of our culture? Will we trust God's provision, or will we believe the advertisements that insist we need just one more thing to be complete?

A Personal Decision

The final challenge rings through the centuries: "Choose for yourselves today whom you will worship... As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord."

This isn't coercion. It's leadership by example. It's a declaration born from experiencing God's goodness, generosity, power, grace, and authority. It's the response of someone who was once lost but has been found, who faced giants but heard God say, "Be strong and courageous."

No scarecrow in a cucumber patch ever offered such words. No material possession ever rescued anyone from bondage. No false god ever provided manna in the wilderness or parted waters to create a path to freedom.

The question remains for each of us: What will we worship? Where will we invest our time, talent, and treasure? Will we lead our families, our workplaces, our communities toward the true God, or will we follow the crowd toward empty promises?

When we remember where we came from and how God brought us to where we are, the choice becomes clear. Gratitude for His faithfulness should direct our focus to Him alone, resulting in a wholehearted choice to follow Jesus—not just on Thanksgiving Thursday, but every day that follows.