Day 6 — As for Me and My House

“But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

— Joshua 24:15 (BSB)

Joshua was an old man now. He had led God’s people into the Promised Land, and they had won many battles with God’s help. Before he died, Joshua gathered all the people together for one last big speech.

He reminded them of everything God had done: how God had rescued them from Egypt, led them through the desert and given them this land. Then Joshua gave them a choice. All around them, people worshiped false gods. Would Israel follow those gods, or would they serve the one true God?

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,” Joshua said. And then he made his own choice very clear: “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

Joshua wasn’t just deciding for himself. He was deciding for his whole family. He wanted his house to be a place where God was loved and followed.

You’re not the leader of your family. That’s your parents’ job. But you can still help make your home a place where God is honored. Here are some ways:

• Pray for your family. Pray for your parents, your siblings and your grandparents by name.
• Be an example. Let your family see Jesus in the way you treat them.
• Share what you’re learning. Tell your family about something you read in the Bible or learned at church.
• Suggest praying together. Ask if your family could pray before meals or at bedtime.

Maybe not everyone in your family follows Jesus. That’s hard. But you can still pray for them every day. In the New Testament, a young man named Timothy learned about faith from his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). Faith often spreads through families, one person at a time. God might use you to help your family know Him.

Every family faces a choice, just like Israel did. You can decide, “As for me, I will serve the Lord.” And you can pray that your whole house will too.

Think about it: What’s one thing you could do to help make your home a place where God is honored?

Try this: Write down the names of everyone in your family. Pray for each one by name today. Keep the list and pray for them every day this week.

Dear God, as for me, I choose to serve You. Please bless my family. Help each person in my home know You and love You. Use me to be a good example and to help make my home a place where You are honored. In Jesus’ name, Amen.