~ "Just a reminder..."

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served 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 24:15)

Many homes display a verse of the Bible, or a blessing or a prayer. In my kitchen is a little plate that belonged to my mother which has a "kitchen prayer" etched on it. In my hallway is plaque (broken and glued a few times) that also belonged to her which reads "God Bless Our Home". There are a few other treasures, but the one that inspires me the most it the verse painted on the wall over my front door. It wasn't something I bought, or something someone gave me, it's only sentimental value is that it reminds me who I serve.

No matter where we go in life, no matter what we do, we are responsible for our attitude and behavior. We can lay the blame for poor health on our environment or our genetics, we can blame our financial failures on the constantly changing economy, we can find an excuse for everything that is wrong in our lives, but we cannot shirk our servitude. We are commanded to serve but one God, the God of heaven and earth. The God who created us in his image, the God who brought a flood upon a sinful world, the God who brought the Israelites out of bondage, the God who sent his Son to die for all mankind, the God who will reclaim his people and lay to rest any doubts unbelievers may have!

God does not ask us for much, yet he asks us for everything! Confused? It's quite simple once you begin that journey. If you've ever been married, it's easy to say the words "I Do" but the feeling and meaning behind those two words is enormous. In that statement, we commit to love, to honor, to cherish, to lift up, to support, to defend, to praise, to share, to care for, to laugh with, to cry with that partner for the rest of our lives. None of us ever says the words "till divorce do us part" - the words are "till DEATH do us part".

The same is true for our statement of faith: "Jesus is my Savior". We are to honor him, to cherish him, to lift our voices is praise, to stand strong in his word. In that statement, we commit to love all as he did, to care for others as he did, and to serve no other. His promise to us is that he will not leave us, or forsake us and we are his! We are his bride! We are his beloved! The words "till death do us part" do not apply here, because upon our "physical" death, we will become one with him in heaven.

Understanding all of that gives us a bigger picture of what those four words really mean. Saying them is the statement of faith, acting upon them is what makes us faithful! All that I have today is by God's design. He's given me everything I need simply because he loves me! He knows the plans he has for me and until those plans are revealed, I will serve the him. He tells me he has plans to prosper me and not to harm me and give me hope and a future, so as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!