February 3rd, 2026
Read Joshua 23:6-10
“Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.
The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God.”
When my kids lived at home full-time, words that were passed down from my mother-in-law could often be heard calling after them as they walked out the door on any given day: “Make wise choices!” I am certain there were many eye rolls from my dear ones over the years. But there was so much more that my heart hoped they would hear in those three words. It was my way of reminding them of who they were and what was needed to get through the day, when I couldn’t be with them. I wanted them to remember that they could make wise choices because they knew a God who was always wise, always loved them, and was always with them. They just needed to ask and listen to Him.
The bolded words in verses 8 and 11 today are kind of like Joshua, calling out, “Make wise choices!” before he died. It was as if he was saying… “I won’t be with you where you are going. So remember who you are, who you belong to…and here’s how you do that.” It’s pretty good advice, too! It has all the elements of what I hoped my children would hear. Here’s my summary of what Joshua was saying: “Keep holding onto God, and He will keep being faithful. Love Him first, and everything will be ok! That’s how you make the wisest choices for where you are headed.”
SO, maybe as you walk out the door today, you ask God to whisper “Make wise choices!” to your heart. My prayer is that you hear Him remind you of who you are and what you need to make it through the day.
