{"id":58205,"date":"2024-06-17T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/?p=58205"},"modified":"2024-06-16T23:39:21","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T03:39:21","slug":"serve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/devotionals\/serve\/","title":{"rendered":"Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve\u00a0","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How committed are you to the ways of the LORD?<br>Have you fully rejected all traditions and habits that do not honor Christ?<br>Will you make a renewed commitment to faithfully serve the LORD all the days of your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>\u201cAnd if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day\u00a0whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0\u2013 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Joshua%2024%3A15&version=NKJV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)<\/a><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The fear of the LORD is losing its meaning more and more in the world today, and the temptation to compromise and not stand firm for truth and righteousness continues to increase. Even as <a href=\"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/biblical-entrepreneurship-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Biblical Entrepreneurs<\/a> who have committed to building <a href=\"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kingdom businesses<\/a>, we sometimes struggle to give up old habits. We also may struggle to let go of the ways of our parents and cultural traditions when they run counter to the ways of the LORD.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every now and then, we must renew our commitment to God, and shed any leftovers that we have not fully let go of since we believed. There is a common saying which says, <em>\u201cPlease don\u2019t judge me because God\u2019s not through with me yet\u201d.<\/em> While it is true that we are all a work in progress, we must not use this as an excuse to hold on to habits, behavior, and attitudes that we know are contrary to the Word of God. We need to develop the courage and the discipline to let go and allow God to shape us into His image and likeness.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was Joshua\u2019s challenge to the children of Israel. Joshua was God\u2019s chosen successor to Moses. He assumed the leadership and responsibility of bringing the nation of Israel to the promised land <strong>(Deuteronomy 31:7-8; Joshua 1:1-6)<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joshua led the people to a successful conquest of Cannan and was able to settle them in their new homeland. Before his death, he gave his farewell address where he reminded them of everything God had done in their lives and the fact that the same God who brought them this far would be with them until the end. But there was a condition \u2013\u00a0 they needed to continue to obey him and faithfully serve Him. If they did not obey and continue to serve Him, they would face God\u2019s anger and wrath <strong>(Joshua 23-24)<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After Joshua completed his farewell address, he entreated the people to forsake all of the false gods that their fathers had served before they came to the promised land and not to serve the gods of the land that they conquered, but to remain faithful to the God Jehovah and to renew their covenant with Him <strong>(Joshua 23:16; Joshua 24:14-25)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through Christ, there is a new covenant through which we can have a level of relationship with God that the Israelites could not <strong>(Hebrews 9:15)<\/strong>. And although we walk under grace, we are still called \u2013 in fact, even more so \u2013 to leave ungodly habits and traditions behind <strong>(Ephesians 4:20-24)<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Will you reject any semblance of the traditions and ways of your parents and culture that do not honor Christ? Will you refuse to compromise and take on the ungodly ways of those you do <a href=\"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/\">business<\/a> with no matter how helpful or expedient it may seem? We are called to be salt and light wherever we are and in whatever sphere of influence we are operating in<strong> (Matthew 5:13-16)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to stand firm to your faith, to be salt and light wherever He has placed you, and to make a renewed commitment to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength as a witness in the marketplace.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE How committed are you to the ways of the LORD?Have you fully rejected all traditions and habits that do not\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":1,"featured_media":58206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-devotionals","pmpro-has-access",""],"spectra_custom_meta":{"affwp_submission_forms_hashes":["a:0:{}"],"_edit_lock":["1719220459:1"],"rank_math_internal_links_processed":["1"],"rank_math_primary_category":["28"],"rank_math_seo_score":["82"],"rank_math_focus_keyword":["serve"],"rank_math_description":["In this week's devotional, Patrice Tsague shares about renewing our commitment to faithfully serve the LORD all the days of our 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Admin","author_link":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/author\/ecmembersadm-2\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE How committed are you to the ways of the LORD?Have you fully rejected all traditions and habits that do not\u2026","comments_count":0,"content_native":[{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p><em>WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE<\/em><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"<em>WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE<\/em>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>How committed are you to the ways of the LORD?<br>Have you fully rejected all traditions and habits that do not honor Christ?<br>Will you make a renewed commitment to faithfully serve the LORD all the days of your life?<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"How committed are you to the ways of the LORD?<br>Have you fully rejected all traditions and habits that do not honor Christ?<br>Will you make a renewed commitment to faithfully serve the LORD all the days of your life?"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/table","render":"<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>\u201cAnd if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day\u00a0whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0- <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Joshua%2024%3A15&amp;version=NKJV\">Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)<\/a><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>","content":"<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>\u201cAnd if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day\u00a0whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0- <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Joshua%2024%3A15&amp;version=NKJV\">Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)<\/a><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>","data":{"rows":[{"style":{"background-color":"","text-color":"","is_head":false},"columns":[{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<em>\u201cAnd if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day\u00a0whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0- <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Joshua%2024%3A15&amp;version=NKJV\">Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)<\/a><\/strong>","content":[{"type":"a","data":"<em>\u201cAnd if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day\u00a0whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0- <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Joshua%2024%3A15&amp;version=NKJV\">Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)<\/a><\/strong>","src":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Joshua%2024%3A15&amp;version=NKJV","style":[]}],"data":{"html":"<em>\u201cAnd if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day\u00a0whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.\u201d <\/em>\u00a0- <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Joshua%2024%3A15&amp;version=NKJV\">Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)<\/a><\/strong>"},"style":{"align":"center"}}]}]},"style":{"textColor":"","layout":"regular","parent_style":{},"hasFixedLayout":false}},{"type":"core\/heading","render":"<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve\u00a0<\/h3>","content":"Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve\u00a0","data":[],"style":{"align":"left","parent_style":{},"textAlign":"center","header":"h3","fontSize":"21px"}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>The fear of the LORD is losing its meaning more and more in the world today, and the temptation to compromise and not stand firm for truth and righteousness continues to increase. Even as <a href=\"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/biblical-entrepreneurship-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Biblical Entrepreneurs<\/a> who have committed to building <a href=\"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kingdom businesses<\/a>, we sometimes struggle to give up old habits. We also may struggle to let go of the ways of our parents and cultural traditions when they run counter to the ways of the LORD.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"The fear of the LORD is losing its meaning more and more in the world today, and the temptation to compromise and not stand firm for truth and righteousness continues to increase. Even as <a href=\"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/biblical-entrepreneurship-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Biblical Entrepreneurs<\/a> who have committed to building <a href=\"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kingdom businesses<\/a>, we sometimes struggle to give up old habits. We also may struggle to let go of the ways of our parents and cultural traditions when they run counter to the ways of the LORD.\u00a0\u00a0"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Every now and then, we must renew our commitment to God, and shed any leftovers that we have not fully let go of since we believed. There is a common saying which says, <em>\u201cPlease don\u2019t judge me because God's not through with me yet\u201d.<\/em> While it is true that we are all a work in progress, we must not use this as an excuse to hold on to habits, behavior, and attitudes that we know are contrary to the Word of God. We need to develop the courage and the discipline to let go and allow God to shape us into His image and likeness.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Every now and then, we must renew our commitment to God, and shed any leftovers that we have not fully let go of since we believed. There is a common saying which says, <em>\u201cPlease don\u2019t judge me because God's not through with me yet\u201d.<\/em> While it is true that we are all a work in progress, we must not use this as an excuse to hold on to habits, behavior, and attitudes that we know are contrary to the Word of God. We need to develop the courage and the discipline to let go and allow God to shape us into His image and likeness.&nbsp;&nbsp;"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>That was Joshua\u2019s challenge to the children of Israel. Joshua was God\u2019s chosen successor to Moses. He assumed the leadership and responsibility of bringing the nation of Israel to the promised land <strong>(Deuteronomy 31:7-8; Joshua 1:1-6)<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"That was Joshua\u2019s challenge to the children of Israel. Joshua was God\u2019s chosen successor to Moses. He assumed the leadership and responsibility of bringing the nation of Israel to the promised land <strong>(Deuteronomy 31:7-8; Joshua 1:1-6)<\/strong>.&nbsp;"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Joshua led the people to a successful conquest of Cannan and was able to settle them in their new homeland. Before his death, he gave his farewell address where he reminded them of everything God had done in their lives and the fact that the same God who brought them this far would be with them until the end. But there was a condition -&nbsp; they needed to continue to obey him and faithfully serve Him. If they did not obey and continue to serve Him, they would face God\u2019s anger and wrath <strong>(Joshua 23-24)<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Joshua led the people to a successful conquest of Cannan and was able to settle them in their new homeland. Before his death, he gave his farewell address where he reminded them of everything God had done in their lives and the fact that the same God who brought them this far would be with them until the end. But there was a condition -&nbsp; they needed to continue to obey him and faithfully serve Him. If they did not obey and continue to serve Him, they would face God\u2019s anger and wrath <strong>(Joshua 23-24)<\/strong>.&nbsp;"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>After Joshua completed his farewell address, he entreated the people to forsake all of the false gods that their fathers had served before they came to the promised land and not to serve the gods of the land that they conquered, but to remain faithful to the God Jehovah and to renew their covenant with Him <strong>(Joshua 23:16; Joshua 24:14-25)<\/strong>.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"After Joshua completed his farewell address, he entreated the people to forsake all of the false gods that their fathers had served before they came to the promised land and not to serve the gods of the land that they conquered, but to remain faithful to the God Jehovah and to renew their covenant with Him <strong>(Joshua 23:16; Joshua 24:14-25)<\/strong>."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Through Christ, there is a new covenant through which we can have a level of relationship with God that the Israelites could not <strong>(Hebrews 9:15)<\/strong>. And although we walk under grace, we are still called - in fact, even more so - to leave ungodly habits and traditions behind <strong>(Ephesians 4:20-24)<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Through Christ, there is a new covenant through which we can have a level of relationship with God that the Israelites could not <strong>(Hebrews 9:15)<\/strong>. And although we walk under grace, we are still called - in fact, even more so - to leave ungodly habits and traditions behind <strong>(Ephesians 4:20-24)<\/strong>.&nbsp;"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p>Will you reject any semblance of the traditions and ways of your parents and culture that do not honor Christ? Will you refuse to compromise and take on the ungodly ways of those you do <a href=\"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/\">business<\/a> with no matter how helpful or expedient it may seem? We are called to be salt and light wherever we are and in whatever sphere of influence we are operating in<strong> (Matthew 5:13-16)<\/strong>.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Will you reject any semblance of the traditions and ways of your parents and culture that do not honor Christ? Will you refuse to compromise and take on the ungodly ways of those you do <a href=\"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/\">business<\/a> with no matter how helpful or expedient it may seem? We are called to be salt and light wherever we are and in whatever sphere of influence we are operating in<strong> (Matthew 5:13-16)<\/strong>."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":"<p><strong>My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to stand firm to your faith, to be salt and light wherever He has placed you, and to make a renewed commitment to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength as a witness in the marketplace.<\/strong><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"<strong>My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to stand firm to your faith, to be salt and light wherever He has placed you, and to make a renewed commitment to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength as a witness in the marketplace.<\/strong>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}}],"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"bb_access":{"can_access":true,"restrict_message":null},"app_access":{"can_access":true,"restrict_message":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}