Choose you this day

Today's scripture mastery is found in Joshua 24:15

 15 And 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.

This is some very good council.  Decide now whom you will serve.  Don't wait until temptation strikes before you decide.  Decide now to serve the Lord.  It is much more difficult to try and make a good decision when faced with a choice between doing the right, and not.  Especially with how the world makes sin look good. . .

Some of my heroes in the scriptures did this very thing.  They decided before they were faced with temptation that they would not sin.  The first of these that I am thinking of is Daniel.  This is the same Daniel who was thrown in the lions' den.  However, he showed much earlier than that that he would obey the commandments of God.  In Daniel chapter 1, it tells of how he would not "defile himself" by eating the king's food.  He requested the chief servant who was watching over them that he instead be allowed to eat grains and drink water, rather than the rich foods and wine that were being offered.  Because he did that, he was blessed with wisdom and knowledge--even more than all the wise men in the kingdom.

Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, are the others that I was referring to.  They also refused to do things contrary to the commandments of God.  When king Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden idol, and commanded all to worship it, they refused.  They stated boldly to the king that they would not worship the idol (Daniel 3:17-18)

 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

They were willing to die for their beliefs!  They did not know at the time that they would be saved from the furnace by Christ's power. 

We should also have that same determination as Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to do what is right--even before we are faced with the tough choices that will come in our lives.