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AN INCLINED HEART
LORD’S DAY, APRIL 18
Joshua 24:14-25

Psalm 119:36

 

“…incline your heart

unto the LORD…”

 

AN INCLINED HEART
 
The people of Israel stood together at Shechem, and the leaders “presented themselves before God” (Josh 24:1). Joshua, by then “old and stricken in age” (Josh 23:1), after rehearsing with the people the history of God’s gracious dealings with them, charged them to serve their God “in sincerity and in truth” (Josh 24:14). The people were surrounded by idols: those of their ancestors (“the gods which your fathers served,” v 14), and of their neighbours (“the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell,” v 15) ‒ but they were to put away all these, and serve the LORD.
 
It is interesting to note that after the people’s initial assent (vv 16-18), Joshua’s response is surprisingly negative (v 19). He does not suggest that God is unforgiving or malicious, but shows instead an awareness of the people’s stubbornness and corruption. In other words, Joshua is emphasizing the fact that they cannot afford to be complacent: first, because they are dealing with “an holy God… a jealous God,” who will judge and punish iniquity; second, because they themselves are a people prone to “transgressions” and “sins.”
 
This is the context of Joshua’s charge to the people (v 23). They cannot be complacent, but must be active in cleaving to the LORD. Their idols must not be tolerated or ignored, but “put away” ‒ and their hearts must not sway, but actively “incline” towards the LORD God of Israel.
 
Dear reader, there are two ways that our hearts can incline: to God, or to idols. And remember, idols come in many shapes and forms, not all of them tangible! Even if we live today in a secular society, we are surrounded by idols such as wealth and popularity (cf. Col 3:5). Just as a metal rod placed between two magnets may lean towards one or the other, and a small nudge in the wrong direction can easily lead to greater and greater deviation: so we must not be complacent regarding the leanings of our hearts. Many are the homes which have Joshua’s words (v 15b) hanging on the wall ‒ but in how many of those homes are there hearts truly and actively inclined towards God?
 
THOUGHT: If I am complacent, my heart will incline the wrong way.
PRAYER: “Incline not my heart to any evil thing” (Ps 141:4), O Father, but to Thee.

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