日期：二零零六年一月一日

經文：約書亞記廿四章一至十五節

講題：決擇

主旨：信徒因經歷了神的恩惠與信實 , 所以要以忠誠和感恩的心向神效忠 .

引言 :

今天是二零零六年的第一天，我假若能知道你在想甚麼，那我會猜想，雖然我們身處這裡，但我們可能想著今年內我們要作的決擇，這些決擇會在某程度上影響我們的家庭，事業和跟別人的關係．上周三，一位機埸地勤員的行李車碰撞了一架阿拉斯加航空公司客機的機身，地勤員認為碰撞的損毀微乎其微，因此決定不報告該事件．飛機起飛後二十分鍾，在二萬六千呎的高空時，這碰撞的凹陷變成了一個十二吋的洞，機倉的氣壓下降，機師被迫緊急回轉，降落機場．地勤員選擇了不報告那看來毫不重要的事件．

五十年前，在 Montgomery, Ala, 一名黑人裁縫女工 Rose Parks 下班後登上一輛公共汽車，坐下後 , 因為很疲倦的緣故 , 她拒絕站起來將座位讓給一白人 . 這個簡單的選擇觸發了民權運動，改變了整個國家．

生命本身正是充滿著綿綿不斷的決定和選擇，我們在每一天，甚至每一分鐘的生活，是否也要作出不同的選擇？在過去的一周，有一天清晨，我嚐試記錄我每一分鍾要作出多少個選擇．我決定了要早些起床，我要選擇早餐吃甚麼：快餐 , 還是降謄固醇 的 麥片．過了不久，我終於放棄了，因為我發覺我正不斷地作出選擇．

當我們正要為新的一年作出不同的決擇之時，請容讓我提出一個我們可能忽視了的決擇，就是我們與神的關係．

我們今天所讀的經文記載了有關選擇的名言，約書亞記廿四章十五節：“若是你們以事奉耶和華為不好，今日就可以選擇所要事奉的；是你們列祖在大河那邊所事奉的神呢？是你們所住這地的亞摩利人的神呢？至於我和我家，我們必定事奉耶和華．”這是牧者們常引用的經節，以激勵會眾事奉主．但我認為我們要從約書亞記第廿四章，甚至約書亞記這本書和以色列早期歷史的觀點看這節經文．當約書亞發表這宣稱之時，以色列人已經離開埃及四十年，他們經過在曠野漫長的旅程後，終於進入了神應許賜給亞伯拉罕的迦南地．當時約書亞已經年老，這是他對帶領了四十年的以色列人所說的最後一翻話．

1•  神主動地在祂子民的生命中彰顯祂的愛和信實

當一個人逐漸年老時，他總喜歡不斷地重覆生命中的故事，他會說：“我．．．我．．．我．．．”繼而，他的配偶和子女會眨著眼睛說：“他又來了”．在這十五節經文中，令你印象最深刻的是甚麼？“我”這個字出現了十八次．假若我在給你的聖誕通訊中用了十八個“我”字，你可能會認為我是一個自我中心的人，但當神說了十八次“我”的時候，那就來得截然不同，我們應否側耳傾聽？

首先，聖經告訴我們當這群以色列人還在曠野徘徊和逐漸成長之時，神已經主動地介入他們的生命當中，不但如此，祂亦主動地介入他們先祖的生命當中．

繼而，請留意在“我”以後的動詞，我將你們的祖宗亞伯拉罕，我把以撒賜給他，我差遣摩西，我把你們領出埃及，我將他們交在你們的手中，我將他們滅絕，我救你們脫離他的手，我賜給你們地土．．．神是主動地將祂的愛彰顯在祂子民的生命中．

祂帶領亞伯拉罕離開吾珥，帶領他進入應許之地，祂將以色列人在埃及為奴的困境中釋放出來，祂使他們戰勝他們的仇敵亞摩利人，祂帶領他們從約但進入了應許之地．

神首次在示劍約許亞伯拉罕的後裔要成為大國，約書亞也是在示劍向以色列人發表講話．神應許要賜這地給亞伯拉罕的後裔，現在，他的後裔果然進入和承繼了應許之地，正是應許的承諾和應許的實踐．

神主動地向祂的百姓彰顯祂的憐憫和信實．

2•  神主動地向叛逆的子民彰顯祂的憐憫和信實

這段經文記 叙 了神為祂百姓所作的一切，但約書亞並未題及以色列人的功勞．當我們訴說我們生命中的事跡時，我們往往只著重於我們的光輝史，但我們的親人和好友卻切實地認識我們的真我．跟據猶太人的傳說，亞伯拉罕是因為不願意拜偶像而離鄉別井，進入迦南，但那並不乎合這段經文的記載，似乎亞伯拉罕也是拜偶像的人，只是神帶領他離開那地，亞伯拉罕並沒有任何功勞．

亞伯拉罕的後裔中充滿了說謊，姦淫和不誠實的人，神把他們從埃及中釋放出來，當他們走到紅海邊，正是前無去路後有進兵之際，他們埋怨神將他們陷入困境，他們埋怨神所賜的嗎哪淡然無味，卻思念在埃及地的黃瓜 韮 菜，他們又埋怨沒有水喝，當摩西在西乃山上的時候，他們為自己造了一隻金牛去敬拜，這是一群背叛的百姓，是一個硬著頸項的國家．

第十三節正是他們歷史的寫照，“我賜給你們地土，非你們所修治的；我賜給你們城邑，非你們所建造的．你們就住在其中，又得喫非你們所栽種的葡萄園，橄欖園的果子”．雖然他們纍次地失敗和不忠，神卻亳不間斷地向他們彰顯祂的憐憫和信實．

我們有否對這段經文產生共鳴？我們站立在創造我們的神面前，可見任何 徳 行？真是微不足道．我們要誇耀我們的成就，但那被隱藏的卻渺無邊際．我們的成就正好像冰山之峰，只是冰山的八分之一，其餘的八分之七卻都是醜陋的往史，正如約翰牛頓在奇異恩典一詩說，我是犯夫走卒，前我失喪瞎眼．當我們回憶往事之時，我們往往發現神亳無間斷地在我們的生命中作工，祂帶領我們到不同的環境，就是正當我們叛逆地向祂尖叫大 駡 之時，祂仍然亳不間斷地向我們施展祂的愛．

3•  神憐憫和信實的彰顯需要祂子民心被恩感地向祂效忠

約書亞在節十四節繼續說：“現在你們要敬畏耶和華，誠心實意的事奉祂，將你們列祖在大河那邊和在埃及所事奉的神除掉，去事奉耶和華”．約書亞就是說，當他們經歷神主動地向祂叛逆的百姓彰顯祂的憐憫和信實後，他們要敬畏耶和華，並要真摰和忠誠地事奉祂，我們對神無條件的愛和信實的正確回應，就是要以報恩的心向祂全然地效忠，就是去愛祂和順從祂．

約書亞繼而在第十五節說：“若是你們以事奉耶和華為不好，今日就可以選擇所要事奉的；是你們列祖在大河那邊所事奉的神呢？是你們所住這地的亞摩利人的神呢？．．．”約書亞給他們三個選擇：事奉在大河那邊的神，事奉他們所居住之地的神，還是事奉耶和華．

為何約書亞沒有在第十四節後便停下來，繼而吩咐以色列人去事奉耶和華？為何他要給他們有選擇的機會？曾經有人對我說：“你是主任牧師，請你告訴我們要作甚麼，不要給我們選擇，吩咐我們去作就是了．”但約書亞體會了一件我們也可理解的事實，就是專注的愛和至死不移的效忠，是不可以勉強的，反之，是要發自內心，約書亞繼而說：“至於我和我家，我們必定事奉耶和華．”他和他的家決定事奉耶和華，約書亞和他全家經已作出了決擇去效忠於神，愛祂和順從祂．

我們又如何？我們知道了神如何主動地在祂的百姓以色列人的生命中彰顯祂的愛和信實，再者，我們更明白神藉著差遣祂的兒子耶穌基督到世上來，為要顯明祂從未間斷的愛，耶穌死在十字架上，把天上的福氣賜給我們，我們也體會到祂如何主動和不斷地在我們身上作工．我們可能認為我們的家長或我們自己在過往作了那些影響我們今天的決定，但當我們俯心自問，這些豈不都是神在我們生命中所作的工．我很喜歡引用的名句就是：每當我回顧往昔，神的 踪 影觸目皆是．我們每天的生活正標誌著神對我們的愛和信實，我們要決擇如何回應，我們也有三項選擇：事奉我們家人在老家所事奉的神，事奉這國家世俗的神，還是事奉萬有的主罕，創造天地的耶和華，並愛我靈魂的主？

總結

生命充滿著過往選擇的結果，我們今天所作的決定將會影響我們的未來．六個月前，韓國的黃博士，因著他對胚胎細胞的研究而成為了科學界的英雄人物，可是近日發現了不少他所謂的破天荒發現也是訛詐的，當然，冰封三尺非一日之寒，可能他在數年前已經作了一連串的決擇導致他今日的聲名衰落．

今天是二零零六年的第一天，我們可能正要作一些對我們，我們的家人，和我們旁邊的人有著深遠影響的選擇 . 在我們與神的關係上 , 我們要作怎樣的決擇呢 ?

別人看見我這麼年輕就要做牧師來了，經常好心的誇獎我才幹出眾本領高強，其實仔細回想起來，我自己實在是沒有什麼可誇的，要誇就真的是要誇神的恩典是如此的臨到我的身上。

小的時候父親出國開會考察，居然有人送中文聖經給他帶回家，我好奇的翻開看，看到裡面的一個人好特別啊，書裡好幾次的重複講到他的故事。父親喜歡美國，對國外人的印像特別好，於是開始從小教我學英文，盼望我能出國留學深造，現在回想起來，在我什麼都還不知道的時候，神就已經開始了祂的工作了。

上了大學以後，我也學著別人的樣子考托福， GRE ，因為從小的英文底子好，就考的不錯，學校因此也就給了我全額獎學金，我非常順利的到了美國。

然而這一切的順利使得我很驕傲，覺得自己很了不起，自以為是，結果跟父母的關係越來的越糟糕，心裡面也很失落。孤身一人在外，又要面對現實的挑戰，一時覺得非常的孤單與苦悶。

正當這時，一個附近的華人教會邀請學生們參加他們的感恩節聚餐，神遽然就藉著那樣的一個機會，在我那麼樣的一個情況下，把我順利的領進了祂的家門。我也萬萬的沒有想到，我的人生從此就揭開了另外的新的一頁。

剛信主的時候，我情緒高昂，信心百倍，一信主就積極帶頭的去服事去事奉，覺得好光彩，也經常主動的站起來回應呼召，但是後來越服事越感到困難，越走下去越知道不容易，心裡就想，噯，算了吧，一個人的，又什麼也沒有，怎麼可能呢。結果這樣的一謙卑下來，神清清楚楚的呼召居然就在那時清清楚楚的臨到了我，後來我也很順利的在教會的幫助下，進了一所很不錯的神學院。

一進神學院我就想，這下子該看我的了，可以好好的施展一下自己的才華了。結果就馬上遇到些不順利的事情，這樣子下來，我就慢慢的學會了要謙卑的倚靠神，千萬不能靠自己。結果實在是沒想到，神就一路的把我帶到了這裡。

從我的父親從小教我讀英文，到順利的出國，從後來我的心情失落，又因此很順利的走進教會的門，以及神又藉著我的熱情引領我，藉著週圍的環境幫助我，這一路的走過來使我越來的越知道說，不是我自己有什麼可誇的，是神的恩典在那裡主動的尋找我，呼召我，保守我，帶領我和扶持著我。

很多時候我們覺得是我們自己選擇了神，其實回過頭來仔細想一想的時候就發現，不是我們選擇了神，是神先主動的選擇了我們，愛了我們，並繼續的，不斷的用祂那永不改變的愛愛著我們，眷顧著我們，保護著我們，引領著我們跟隨祂的道路。

牟濤體會了神在他生命中的愛和信實，我深信他的見證可在我們當中復現五十，一百，二百或三百次，我們已經明白，看見和體會了神在過往對我們亳無間斷的慈愛 . 接下來我們就要領受聖餐 . 每當領受這餅與杯時 , 我們要記念神對我們的愛與信實 . 當我們面對神的愛和憐憫之時，我們唯一的回應就是去事奉祂，這並不是說我們必定要全職事奉，但也不排除 . 我們必須向祂全然和全心地效忠，愛祂和順服祂 . 這並不是別人或外在因素可以勉強，仍是要發自內心的回應．請我們一起禱告 :

Date:   1/1/06

Text:   Joshua 24:1-15

Title:   To Choose

Theme:

Introduction:

  This being the first day of 2006, if I can read your mind, even though we are here, our minds are preoccupied by the choices we have to make this year. These choices will affect our families, careers and relationships. Last Wednesday, an airport baggage handler bumped his cart into an Alaska Airline plane. Since the bump was so minor, he decided not to report the incident. 20 minutes after take off and at the altitude of 26K feet, this little bump turned into a 12” hole. The cabin pressure dropped and the pilot had to make an immediate descend and returned to the airport. The baggage handler made the choice of not reporting the minor, and seemingly insignificant incident.

  50 years ago Rosa Parks, a seamstress in Montgomery , Ala got on the bus after a long day of work. On that day, she refused to get up to give her seat to a while passenger. This simple choice started the civil rights movement that changed the nation.

  Life is made up of a series of choices. Can you imagine a day, or even a minute passing by without making choices? One morning early this week, I tried to keep track of how many choices or decisions I made in a minute. I had decided to get up earlier. I had to decide what to have for breakfast: the junk food or oatmeal, the cholesterol buster. After a little while I just gave up, for I realized that I was almost non-stop making choices.

  As we are planning to make different choices for this new year, may I also suggest one choice that we may have overlooked? This choice is about our relationship with God.

  This passage we read today includes a familiar quotation on choices. Joshua 24:15, “ And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 如果你們認為事奉耶和華不好 ， 那麼今日你們就可以選擇你們所要事奉的 ： 是你們列祖在大河那邊事奉的神呢 ， 還是你們現在所住亞摩利人之地的神呢 ？ 至於我和父家 ， 我們必事奉耶和華。 ”” This is a well worn verse by ministers to challenge their congregations to serve the Lord. However, I feel it is very important for us to look at this verse in the context of Joshua 24, the book of Joshua and moreover, the early history of the nation of Israel . At the time of Joshua’s speech to the Israelites, they had left Egypt 40 years earlier. After wandering in the wilderness, they had finally entered the Canaan , the land God promised to Abraham. Joshua is old and these are his last words to the people he led for the last 40 years.

I.   God is actively manifesting his love and faithfulness in His people’s life.

  When people get old, they tend to tell and retell their life story. They would say, “ I, …..I…..I….”. And meanwhile you would notice the children or the spouse blinking their eyes, “There he goes again.” As you read these 15 verses, what stands out the most? The word ‘I’ appeared a total of 18 times. If I send you a Christmas letter with 18 ‘I’s’, you’ll think what an egotistic person I am. But when it is God who says, ‘I’ 18 times, then it is different and we better listen, right?

  First, this tells us that when this group of Israelites was growing up and wandering in the wilderness, God was actively involved in their lives. Not only this, he was actively involved in their forefathers’ lives.

  Secondly, take a look at the verbs that followed the ‘I’s’. I took your father Abraham, I gave him Isaac, I gave Jacob, I sent Moses, I brought you out of Egypt, I gave them to your hand, I destroyed them, I delivered you out of his hand, I gave you a land…. God's active involvement in their lives was a one way manifestation of his love to his people.

  He called Abraham out of the land of Ur and took him to the Promised Land. He delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt . He brought victory over their enemies, the Amorites. He took them from Jordan into Canaan , the Promised Land.

  And then we also notice that it was at Shechem that God first promised Abraham a great nation and a land. Now, it was at Shechem again, that Joshua spoke to the Israelites. God promised Abraham the land. And now, his descendents had entered and received the land. It was a promise given and a promise kept.

  God was actively manifesting his mercy and faithfulness to his people.

II.   God actively manifest his mercy and faithfulness to his people in spite of their rebellion.

  In this passage, we read about what God did to his people. But for some reason, Joshua did not mention the state of the Israelites. When we tell stories about our lives, we highlight and repeat those glorious moments. But, our family members and friends know better. In the Jewish tradition, it is said that Abraham refused to worship the idols of his land, so he left and went to Canaan . This is not what we read here. Vs.2-3, “ Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates , Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan , and made his offspring many. 古時你們的列祖，就是亞伯拉罕和拿鶴的父親他拉，住在大河那邊；他們事奉別的神。 我把你們的祖先亞伯拉罕，從大河那邊帶來，領他走遍迦南地，使他的後裔增多 ” It appears that Abraham was also involved in idol worship. However, God took him out of that land. Abraham did not have any merit.

  Abraham’s descendents were tinted with lies, adultery and dishonesty. Later God delivered them from the land of Egypt . When they arrived at the Red Sea , with the Egyptian army closing in, they blamed God for their predicament. They complained that the mana God sent was plain with no taste. They preferred the vegetable, onions and garlic in Egypt . They complained when there was no water. When Moses was on Mt. Sinai , they made for themselves a golden calf to worship. This was a people, a nation, that was rebellious and stiff necked.

  Vs.13 is a summary of their history. “ 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant. 我賜給你們的土地 ， 不是你們勞苦開墾的 ； 我賜給你們的城市 ， 不是你們建造的 ， 你們卻住在城中 ； 你們享用的葡萄園和橄欖園 ， 也不是你們栽種的。 ” I n spite of their failures and unfaithfulness, God gave them the land. God has never stopped showing his mercy and faithfulness to them. They had no merit whatsoever to earn God's love.

  Can’t we all identify what is said here? Is there any moral good within us as we stand before this creator God? Not much. We like to brag about our accomplishments, but the unmentionables are far more than what we can see. Our merits are but a tip of the iceberg; about 1/8, but failures and ugliness is the rest, about 7/8. Not a pretty picture. John Newton wrote in Amazing Grace, “….a wretch like me. I once was lost and blind.” However, looking back, we also see how God has never ceased to work in our lives. He took us from one place to another. Even in the midst of our rebellion, screaming and shouting against him, he had not failed to show his love towards us.

III.   God's manifestation of mercy and faithfulness require His people to respond with grateful allegiance.

  Joshua continued in vs. 14, “ Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt , and serve the Lord. 現在你們要敬畏耶和華 ， 真誠地按著真理事奉他 ， 把你們列祖在大河那邊和在埃及事奉的神除掉 ， 去事奉耶和華 ” Joshua is saying that having witnessed how God had actively manifested his love and faithfulness in spite of their failure and rebellion, they are to fear the lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. The proper response to God's unconditional love and faithfulness is to give him our total allegiance with gratitude. This means to love him and to obey him.

  Joshua then continued in vs.15, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell… 如果你們認為事奉耶和華不好 ， 那麼今日你們就可以選擇你們所要事奉的 ： 是你們列祖在大河那邊事奉的神呢 ， 還是你們現在所住亞摩利人之地的神呢 ？ ” Here Joshua gave them 3 choices: To serve the gods beyond the great river; to serve the gods of the land they are in or the Lord God.

  Why Joshua didn’t just stop at vs.14 and order the Israelites to serve the Lord? Why would he give them the choice? Sometimes people say to me, “Because you are the senior pastor, why don’t you just tell us what to do. Don’t give us a choice. Just tell us.” Its tempting; isn’t it. But Joshua knew something we all know. An undivided love and allegiance cannot be forced from the external. It has to come from the heart. No one can force me to love God; it has to come from my heart. Joshua then said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 至於我和父家 ， 我們必事奉耶和華 ” He and his family had made a choice to serve the lord. Joshua and his family had already made a choice to give their allegiance to God; loving and obeying Him.

  How about us? We’ve seen how God actively manifested his love and faithfulness in the life of his people, the Israelites. Moreover, we see how God continued to show his love by sending his son, Jesus Christ into the world. By dying on the cross, he bestowed all the heavenly blessings to us. We have also seen how he actively worked and is still working in our lives. Even though we may think that our parents or ourselves had made those decisions years ago, taking us to where we are, yet as we are true to ourselves, we recognize that it was God working in our lives. A phrase I like to use a lot is: when we look back, we see God's finger prints all over the place. Every day is a demonstration of his love and faithfulness upon us. Now, we have to decide how to respond. We, too, have 3 choices: to serve the gods our family served back home, to serve the gods in this country, or the Lord God almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, and the lover of my soul?

Conclusion:

  Life is a series of choices we have made in the past. The choices we made today will affect us in the days to come. Just 6 months ago, Dr. Hwang of Korea was the hero and pride in the scientific community because of his stem cell research. But now, it is found out that many of his so called breakthroughs are frauds. Certainly, this down fall did not occur overnight. May be as early as several years ago, he had made a series of choices that led to his disgraceful downfall. The choice we make today can affect us in the years to come.

  Today is the first day of 2006. Many of us are thinking of the choices we’ll make in 2006. Of all the choices, have we included the one about God?

別人看見我這麼年輕就要做起牧師來了，經常好心的誇獎我才幹出眾本領高強，其實仔細回想起來，我自己實在是沒有什麼可誇的，要誇就真的是要誇神的恩典是如此的臨到我的身上。

小的時候父親出國開會考察，居然有人送中文聖經給他帶回家，我好奇的翻開看，看到裡面的一個人好特別啊，書裡好幾次的重複講到他的故事。父親喜歡美國，對國外人的印像特別好，於是開始從小教我學英文，盼望我能出國留學深造，現在回想起來，在我什麼都還不知道的時候，神就已經開始了祂的工作了。

上了大學以後，我也學著別人的樣子考托福， GRE ，因為從小的英文底子好，就考的不錯，學校因此也就給了我全額獎學金，我非常順利的到了美國。

然而這一切的順利使得我很驕傲，覺得自己很了不起，自以為是，結果跟父母的關係越來的越糟糕，心裡面也很失落。孤身一人在外，又要面對現實的挑戰，一時覺得非常的孤單與苦悶。

正當這時，一個附近的華人教會邀請學生們參加他們的感恩節聚餐，神遽然就藉著那樣的一個機會，在我那麼樣的一個情況下，把我順利的領進了祂的家門。我也萬萬的沒有想到，我的人生從此就揭開了另外的新的一頁。

剛信主的時候，我情緒高昂，信心百倍，一信主就積極帶頭的去服事去事奉，覺得好光彩，也經常主動的站起來回應呼召，但是後來越服事越感到困難，越走下去越知道不容易，心裡就想，噯，算了吧，一個人的，又什麼也沒有，怎麼可能呢。結果這樣的一謙卑下來，神清清楚楚的呼召居然就在那時清清楚楚的臨到了我，後來我也很順利的在教會的幫助下，進了一所很不錯的神學院。

一進神學院我就想，這下子該看我的了，可以好好的施展一下自己的才華了。結果就馬上遇到些不順利的事情，這樣子下來，我就慢慢的學會了要謙卑的倚靠神，千萬不能靠自己。結果實在是沒想到，神就一路的把我帶到了這裡。

從我的父親從小教我讀英文，到順利的出國，從後來我的心情失落，又因此很順利的走進教會的門，以及神又藉著我的熱情引領我，藉著週圍的環境幫助我，這一路的走過來使我越來的越知道說，不是我自己有什麼可誇的，是神的恩典在那裡主動的尋找我，呼召我，保守我，帶領我和扶持著我。

很多時候我們覺得是我們自己選擇了神，其實回過頭來仔細想一想的時候就發現，不是我們選擇了神，是神先主動的選擇了我們，愛了我們，並繼續的，不斷的用祂那永不改變的愛愛著我們，眷顧著我們，保護著我們，引領著我們跟隨祂的道路。

  Tao has seen and experienced God's love and faithfulness in his life. I know that his testimony can be multiplied by 50, 100, 2 or 300 fold among us. We have seen, witnessed and experienced God's unfailing loving kindness towards us in the past year. In a little while, we’ll be observing the Holy Communion together. Whenever we take this bread and this cup, it reminds us of God's love and faithfulness towards us. Standing before God's love and mercy, the only proper response is to serve him. Not just individually, but as a family. This does not mean we’ll go into full time ministry, nor would it be ruled out. Instead, to serve God is to give him our total and undivided allegiance. No one can force you to do that; it will have to come from your heart. Shall we pray: