Jesus then said, “Let the children be! Don’t hinder them from coming to me; for the kingdom
of heaven belongs to those who are humble, like these children.” Jesus laid his hands on
them and went away.
Reflect
People love having choices. We see it in everything – from shopping to entertainment to politics.
In most cases, we have more choices than we could ever think of using. In fact, sometimes we
have so many choices that we find ourselves paralyzed by the options and unable to make any
choice at all. Joshua makes things simple for the people of Israel, offering them a stark choice:
they can serve the gods of their ancestors, the gods of the place where they live, or the God
who brought them out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. Three options, one
life-altering choice. Who will they serve?
Who will we serve? We have many more than three options. Increasingly, people are choosing
not to choose, claiming to be spiritual but not religious, accepting that a God might exist, but
not accepting that this God requires something of us. But when we turn our minds to all the
things that God has done for us, we understand that serving and worshipping God is not a
burden imposed on us, but the natural response of a grateful heart.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023