One evening my family and I were watching an episode of the TV show Brain Games. It had a segment in which they tested the ability of people to make choices. One group went to an ice cream parlor that featured 50-60 flavors of the delicious dessert. The other group went to a shop that had only three flavors. The group who had to choose from many flavors experienced more anxiety than the group who had just a few selections. Having choices no longer liberated but debilitated.

Before he died, Joshua wanted Israel to realize that their choice to serve Yahweh exclusively would liberate them and positively influence their future. He called the people to Shechem to encourage them to renew their commitment to God (Joshua 24:1). It would have been easy to guilt, shame, or coerce them into renewing their commitment, but Joshua did something more compelling. He reminded the nation of God’s great acts of grace.

His first act of grace was choosing them through Abraham and his descendants (Joshua 24:3-4). The grace continued with God delivering His people from slavery (Joshua 24:5-7). God not only chose them and delivered them, but He also protected and enriched them (Joshua 24:8-13).

Joshua then vowed that he and his entire family would serve the Lord, regardless of what the people chose (Joshua 24:15). And when they were reminded of God’s great acts of grace and heard Joshua’s declaration, they chose Yahweh over the lesser gods (Joshua 24:16).

When we remember the great acts of God—redemption through Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the giving of gifts and talents, and daily bread from our Father’s hand—the only logical and reasonable choice is for us to fall before Him in worship.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: John 14:1-14