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“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” Joshua 24:15

Don’t you love when the Lord is speaking to your heart about something, and then you open His Word to read about that same thing? It might be a balm of encouragement or much-needed conviction. Or, it could be a call to action.

This happened to me when I was reading the last few chapters of Joshua this morning.

Sisters, when we take action in faith, with godly intention to glorify our Father and His Truth, it can—and will—be misconstrued by those outside our camp. And the other side will come against you because of how they perceive (with their non-Biblical worldview) what you’re saying or doing.

Will they, like the Israelite leaders from the West, go to you directly to ask “why” in order to gain understanding? (Joshua 22:10-34) Or will they simply grab hold of their faulty belief, fueled by an already-underlying disdain, and simply attack? We cannot predict.

So, in this time of national crisis and unrest, more than ever, we must be careful in our every word and action. Let’s think carefully—and pray—about what we are saying and doing, especially on social media. If we could possibly be misunderstood, clarify or just don’t say/do it.

But if it is God’s Truth, stand firm on it. Don’t deny the Lord or who you are as a believer. Pray. Speak. Act. But be ready for the battle.

As our national media stirs the pot of animosity against Christians, inciting anger and pushing lies to the masses, we cannot be mute. Our silence about our faith and the hope we have in Jesus Christ unwittingly paves a road to persecution. Paul exhorts us in God’s Word that as much as depends on us, we are to maintain peace with those around us (Romans 12:18). And we must. But, Christian, make no mistake. The time has come for us to embrace Joshua 24:14-15.

“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom 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.”

I write this with tears flowing down my cheeks. Political and economic ramifications aside, the darkness is closing in. We must be on guard and stand firm in our faith. We must be courageous and strong, doing everything in the love of Christ (1 Corinthians 16:13). We must choose.

“Lord, the battle is Yours. Reveal to me the time to be silent and the time to speak Truth. The time to stand still and the time to take action.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Ministry