Call it the Showdown at Shechem. Joshua gathered the people of Israel at this town so he could give them the challenge of their lives.

Aware of their interest in the history of their forefathers, Joshua began with a dramatic recounting of things past. He told how God had spared them from Terah's homeland to Jericho.

As Joshua talked, the people must have relived in their minds the exciting stories they had heard from their grandparents--the plagues in Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, and all the battles with surrounding enemies.

But more humbling than all those instances of God's intervention must have been the reminder that despite God's goodness, the people were still worshiping the false gods of their forefathers.

Joshua's challenge to the Israelites was not about the past. It was about the future. He challenged them to worship only the one true God. Because "He is a jealous God" (Josh. 24:19), the Lord will not tolerate worship of any other.

We too have seen God work--both miraculously in giving us eternal life, and more routinely in His daily care. So in gratitude to the Lord, let's cast aside our "false gods"--anything that competes with our devotion to Him--and incline our heart toward the only true God.  — Dave Branon