That’s what integrity will do to ya’

Linda is away during March, Clayton Bjelan brings you today’s devotion.

What deep dark secret did he need to expose?

Joshua 23-24:27

Reference: ch 24 v15  “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (TNIV Bible)

Explore: I have a mate who had a moment of conviction a few years ago.

It was a moment when he needed to decide if he truly was living the life that he said he was as a Christian.

So what deep, dark sin did he need to deal with?  What deep, dark secret did he need to expose?

CD ROMs.

Yep, CD ROMs.

You see, he was most certainly a Christian, and was living for Jesus – but he got challenged about the issue of pirated CD ROMs/Games/Movies, etc.

He had heaps of them and had never really thought much about it, until the realisation really hit him that, as a Christian, all these pirated CD ROMs were effectively stolen property!

So what did he do?  Well, even though no one would probably ever know that he had them, and it was doubtful the police were going to storm his house to arrest him for them, he decided to destroy all of them.  He then went out and bought the EXACT SAME things, legally… costing around $800.  And, at the time, he wasn’t earning very much!

Application: I love the courage of my mate to stand up for what was right – even though it cost him dearly in finances at a time when his finances weren’t looking all that good.  That inspires me to always be standing for integrity and what is right in life – even if no one else is.

This verse in Joshua does the same thing.  For me, it is one of the top few verses in this incredible book.

We see Joshua challenge the people to serve God with all that they are and not to follow other gods.  But, even if they do veer off-course, Joshua wanted them to know that for “me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Oh yeah!  What a statement of strength, faith and integrity.  It just makes me want to stand up and shout out, “Yep, that’s me too!  Me and my family will be serving God too – no matter what!”

Prayer: Dear God, give me the strength to stand up for what is right – even when others aren’t.  Be close to me in those moments when I am doing the ‘right thing’, but it’s hard.

What do you need to stand up for that is ‘right’ today?

cd rom, conviction, God, house, integrity, Joshua, me, my household