Joshua 23:11

Joshua 23:11 says, Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.  This is still Joshua's command to the Israelites, and it is a good command for the followers of Christ today.  We need to take good heed, or make sure that we are committed to loving Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Though salvation comes once and for all time for those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, it is continual commitment to allow Him to be Lord.  Verse twelve states, Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:  Joshua warned the people of Israel if they did not remain committed to God that they could be drawn back into sinful relationships.  The same is true for Christians today.  We cannot compromise our faith in God in any aspect, no matter how appealing it may be to do so.  Joshua spoke specifically about marrying outside the people of Israel, but there are many other ways to be led astray besides marrying outside the faith of those who are followers of Christ.  Verse thirteen declares, Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.  Joshua told the people that they should know for a certainty that God had already driven the enemies of Israel out and that He wouldn't do it again.  God had given them the victory and He expected them to remain faithful to Him, and as long as they did, there would be no need to drive out any other people.  God gives us victory over sin through our faith in Christ, but He does not remove all temptation from our life.  It is only as we remain faithful to Christ in our everyday life that we are victorious over sin.  Though we are commanded to go into the world, we are also reminded to not allow the things of the world to begin to rule us.  Verse fourteen adds, And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.  Joshua said that he was going to die, but that the people needed to remember that God had not failed them in any way.  God had fulfilled His promise to them in all aspects.  They had not claimed the promised land of their own power, but by the power of God.  God has not and never will fail us in any promise that He has made to us, and this is something that we should remember daily.  Religious leaders may die, but God's word does not die with them.  Verse fifteen continues, Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.  Joshua warned the people of Israel that just as God had brought all good things to them when they were faithful to Him that He could allow all evil things to come upon them if they turned away from Him.  When we falter in our faith in God, we should not be surprised that evil comes into our life.  Verse sixteen concludes, When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.  Joshua said there was a penalty for serving other gods, and that was that God would drive them out of the land that He had given them.  If we have truly accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we will never lose our heavenly home, but we will lose the joy of our salvation.  We cannot afford to allow anything in this world to come between God and us.