The Word for Today with Ray

Monday, August 24, 2026

You Cannot Serve the Holy LORD - Joshua 24:19

In the book of Joshua, we learned how the people of Israel said to Joshua, “the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed. And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse nineteen of Joshua, “Joshua said unto the people, You cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God” where we read,

And Joshua said unto the people, You cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

The verse reads, “And Joshua said unto the people, You cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God;” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and Joshua” whose name means “Jehovah is salvation” and was “the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan” “said unto the people” or “uttered, declared and proclaimed to the human beings of Israel”, “you cannot serve the LORD” which means “you, the people of Israel, are unable and incapable of Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”: “for he is an holy God” or “because, since and on account that he, Jehovah God, exists as a sacred, pure and set apart Supreme Deity”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Joshua” told the people of Israel they were incapable of “serving” Jehovah God because He is sacred and pure.

The verse goes on to say, “he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “he is a jealous God” which means “he, Jehovah God, exists as a covetous, desirous and begrudging Supreme Deity”; “he will not forgive your transgressions” or “he, Jehovah God, shall in no way or manner bear up, sustained or endure your, the people of Israel’s, rebellious acts” “nor your sins” which means “no and not in any way your, the people of Israel’s, occasions of offense”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Joshua” told the people of Israel that Jehovah God exists as a covetous and desirous Supreme Deity, and He would in no way sustain their “rebellious acts” nor their occasions of offense.

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how “Joshua” set the bar of acceptance before Jehovah God very high. He told the people of Israel that because God is holy, He would in no way “forgive” their rebellious acts or occasions of offense. We can imagine how frightening this statement was to them. God will not forgive sins or grant eternal life to us unless we receive His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of everyone and rose from the dead after three days as our “Savior and Lord”. Because “there is none righteous, no, not one” (See Romans 3:10) we are all in need of a “Savior”, and only Jesus paid the price for our sins. When we put our trust and faith in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and to help us confess our sins so we may be cleansed from all unrighteousness. (See 1 John 1:9)

Next time Joshua shares how Joshua said, “If you forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

The LORD Drove Out All People - Joshua 24:18

In the book of Joshua, we learned how the people of Israel told Joshua, “the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse eighteen of the book of Joshua, the people of Israel said, “the LORD drove out from before us all the people”, where we read,

And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.

The verse reads, “And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and the LORD” which means “and Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God” “drove out from before us” or “cast away, thrust out and expelled in front and in the presence of the people of Israel” “all the people” which means “each, the whole and every one of the human beings”, “even the Amorites” or “also and indeed the Amorites whose name means ‘a sayer’ and were one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt” “which dwelt in the land” which means “who lived, abided and inhabited the territory, region, district and country”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of Israel acknowledged that Jehovah God expelled the people of the territories including the “Amorites” who lived within the country.

The verse continues, “therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “therefore will we also serve the LORD” which means “wherefore, then and on this account shall we, the people of Israel, even so and indeed worship, labor and work for Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”; “for he is our God” or “because, since and on account that he, Jehovah God, exists as our, the people of Israel’s, Supreme Deity”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of Israel concluded that they would even so and indeed labor and work for Jehovah God because He was their Supreme Deity.

When we think through the words in this verse, we see how the people of Israel concluded and decided that they would “serve” Jehovah God. Jehovah God alone expelled the people of the promise land including the “Amorites” who lived there from their country, and because of this, Jehovah God alone would be their Supreme Deity. God wants to be exclusive in our lives, and because He alone sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days, when we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and equip us with His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and help us to live according to that truth so we “serve” Him alone as we make our way through the world. (See Luke 4:8; John 3:16; 16:!3; Acts 1:8)

Next time Joshua shares how “Joshua said unto the people, You cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

The LORD Brought Us Out of Egypt - Joshua 24:17

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Joshua said to the people of Israel, “if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse seventeen of Joshua, the people of Israel said, “the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt”, where we read,

For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

The verse reads, “For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “for the LORD our God” which means “because, since and on account that Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God our, the people of Israel’s, Supreme Deity”, “he it is that brought us up” or “he, Jehovah God, exists as the one who withdrew, carried and caused us, the people of Israel, to ascend” “and our fathers” which means “and our, the people of Israel’s, male progenitors and ancestors” “out of the land of Egypt” or “from the territory, region, district and country belonging to Egypt whose name means land of the Copts and was a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows”, “from the house of bondage” which means “separate and apart from the dwelling place and habitation pertaining to servanthood and slavery”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of Israel declared that their Supreme Deity Jehovah God led them and their forefathers from the country of “Egypt” where they lived as slaves.

The verse goes on to say, “… and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “and which did those great signs” which means “and who performed and produced the large, intense, important and distinguished miracles and tokens” “in our sight” or “within our, the people of Israel’s, physical eyes for appearance and vision”, “and preserved us” which means “and kept, guarded, protected and saved us, the people of Israel” “in all the way wherein we went” or “in each, the whole and everywhere in which we, the people of Israel, walked, proceeded, departed and moved”, “and among all the people” which means “and in the midst and middle of each, every, the whole and everyone of the human beings” “through whom we passed” or “in and out of the people that we, the people of Israel, crossed, marched over and traveled”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of Israel acknowledged that Jehovah God performed mighty miracles and watched over them as they traveled among different people groups.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we see how the people of Israel acknowledged that Jehovah God lead them and their forefathers out of slavery in “Egypt”, and He performed powerful miracles that they observed. He watched over them as they traveled and was with them whenever they crossed the paths of other people. In other words, God cared for the people of Israel. God loves the people of Israel, and because they were to be the nation through whom all the world could be saved, (See Genesis 12:3; 22:18) God guarded and preserved them. He sent His Son Jesus through the people of Israel into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days so when we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and empower us to live according to that truth as we make our way through this world. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8)

Next time Joshua shares how the people of Israel say, “the LORD drove out from before us all the people”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

God Forbid that We Forsake the LORD - Joshua 24:16

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Joshua said to the people of Israel, “if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse sixteen of Joshua, the people of Israel said, “God forbid that we should forsake the LORD”, where we read,

And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD,

to serve other gods;

The verse reads, “And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and the people answered” which means “and the human beings belonging to Israel responded as a witness, gave testimony” “and said” or “ and uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “God forbid” which means “far be it from us or let it not be” “that we should forsake the LORD” or “that we, the people of Israel, leave, depart from , abandon, neglect or apostatize Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people responded to Joshua by declaring that leaving and neglecting Jehovah God was to be far from them.

The verse continues, “to serve other gods;” Joshua or the writer added the words, “to serve” which means “to worship, labor and work for” “other gods” or “further and different deities”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of Israel said they would not abandon Jehovah God to “labor and work” for different deities.

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how the people of Israel responded to Joshua telling them to “choose you this day whom you will serve”. Their response was that it was to be far from them to worship and work for some other deity. Joshua’s question and the people’s answer is relevant to us. We have the opportunity to “choose” whether we will “serve” Jehovah God who sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days, or we can “choose” to “serve” some other deity in the world.When we put our faith and trust in Jesus as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and equip us with His Holy Spirit who will lead and guide us in our lives. If we put our faith and trust in some other deity, our sins will not be forgiven and we will not receive eternal life with God. (See John 14:6) The choice is ours, and everyone will give an account of the choice they have made. (See Romans 14:12) Choose wisely.

Next time Joshua shares how the people of Israel say, “the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Choose You This Day Whom You Will Serve - Joshua 24:15

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Jehovah God said to the people of Israel, “I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you built not, and you dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which you planted not do you eat. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve you the LORD”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse fifteen of Joshua, Joshua said, “choose you this day whom you will serve”, where we read,

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

The verse reads, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve;” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and if it seem evil unto you” which means “and whether and in case it, the following, appears bad, disagreeable, malignant, displeasing and wicked” “to serve the LORD” or “to labor and work for Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”, “choose you this day” which means “elect, decide and select you, people of Israel, this particular sunrise to sunset” “whom you will serve” or “what person or god you, the people of Israel, shall labor and work for”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Joshua” told the people of Israel in case they thought it was displeasurable and wicked to labor for Jehovah God, they should on that day decide who they were going to “serve”.

The verse goes on to say, “whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell:” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “whether the gods” which means “if and in case the deities” “which your fathers served” or “that your, the people of Israel’s, male progenitors and ancestors” “that were on the other side of the flood” which means “who existed upon the opposite side of the flowing stream”, “or the gods of the Amorites” or “or the deities belonging to the Amorites whose name means ‘a sayer’ and was one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt”: “in whose land you dwell” which means “within whose, the Amorites’, territory, region, district and country you, the people of Israel, live, abide and inhabit”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of Israel were to make a choice whether to labor and work on behalf of the deities their “forefathers” worshiped on the opposite side of the flowing stream or the deities whom the “Amorites” worshiped and in whole territory in which they were living.

Finally the verse read, “but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua or the writer concluded this verse with the words, “but as for me and my house” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover we, Joshua and his household”, “we will serve the LORD” which means “we shall labor and work for Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”. Joshua or the writer shared how Joshua declared that he and the people within his household would labor, work and give homage to Jehovah God.

When we think through the words in this verse, we see how “Joshua” brought the people of Israel to the point of making a decision. They could choose to labor and work for Jehovah God or they could labor and work for the deities of their forefathers or the “Amorites”. Only Jehovah God delivered the territories within the promise land to the people of Israel, but they were free to select another “god” to worship. God does not force a person to “serve” and follow Him, however, He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days so when we put our faith and trust in Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and equip us to “serve” Him all the days of our lives - if we so choose. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; John 6:68)

Next time Joshua or the writer shares how the people of Israel say, “God forbid that we should forsake the LORD”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Fear and Serve the LORD - Joshua 24:14

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Jehovah God said to the people of Israel, “I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you built not, and you dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which you planted not do you eat”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse fourteen of Joshua, Joshua said, “fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth”, where we read,

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve you the LORD.

The verse reads, “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “now therefore” which means “at this time then, wherefore and on this account” “fear the LORD” or “give reverence, worship and awe to Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”, “and serve him” which means “and work, labor and be as bondsmen to him, Jehovah God” “in sincerity” or “in whole, entire, sound and complete wholeness and integrity” “and in truth” which means “and with firmness, faithfulness, sureness and reliability”. Joshua or the writer shared how Joshua instructed the people of Israel to give reverence, worship and awe to Jehovah God and to labor for Him with wholeness and faithfulness.

The verse continues, “and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve you the LORD.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “and put away the gods” which means “turn aside, depart and avoid the deities” “which your fathers served” or “that your, the people of Israel’s, male progenitors and ancestors worked, labored and were as bondsmen” “on the other side of the flood” which means “upon the opposite region pertaining to the stream or flowing river”, “and in Egypt” or “and within Egypt whose name means ‘land of the Copts’ and was a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows”: “and serve you the LORD” which means “and labor, work and be as bondmen you, people of Israel, Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”. Joshua or the writer shared how Joshua instructed the people of Israel to depart from the “deities” for which they labored on the opposite side of the flowing stream and within “Egypt” and to work as bondmen for Jehovah God.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we see how Joshua instructed the people of Israel to worship and “serve” Jehovah God after reminding them of all He did for them within the promise land. God wants us to “serve” Him because both He and we are blessed when we do. God loves us, and His desire is the best for our lives. When He sent His Son Jesus into the world to be crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days, He made the way through belief and trust in Him to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and equipped with His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and help us live in a manner that joyfully “serves” Him all the days of our lives. (See John 3:16; 16:!3; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)

Next time Joshua shares how Joshua says, “choose you this day whom you will serve”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

A Land Given with No Labor - Joshua 24:13

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Jehovah God said to the people of Israel, “you went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with your sword, nor with your bow”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse thirteen of Joshua, Jehovah God said, “I have given you a land for which you did not labor”, where we read,

And I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you built not, and you dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which you planted not do you eat.

The verse reads, “And I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you built not, and you dwell in them;” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and I have given you a land” which means “and I, Jehovah God, have granted, bestowed and assigned to you, the people of Israel, a country, territory, district and region” “for which you did not labor” or “for which you did not toil, grow weary or become exhausted”, “and cities” which means “and dwelling places, habitations and abodes” “which you built not” or “that you, the people of Israel, in no way or manner erected or constructed”, “and you dwell in them” which means “and you, the people of Israel, live, abide and inhabit them, the cities”. Joshua or the writer shared how Jehovah God told the people of Israel that he gave them territories for which they did not have to work and labor, and He provided them dwelling places in which to live that they did not construct.

The verse goes on to say, “of the vineyards and olive yards which you planted not do you eat.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “of the vineyards” which means “pertaining to the cultivated gardens or fields with plants of nobler quality” “and olive yards” or “and olive groves” “which you planted not” which means “that you, the people of Israel, did not fix, fashion or establish” “do you eat” or “you, the people of Israel, consume and devour from the olive trees and fruit of the vines”. Joshua or the writer shared how Jehovah God referred to the cultivated gardens of fruit and the olive groves that were not established by the people of Israel, but they were given to them to consume.

When we consider the words in this verse, we see how Jehovah God was responsible to provide the territories, dwelling places, gardens and groves to the people of Israel. Although the people of Israel did not construct or establish any of these locations and gardens, they were to enjoy them in the presence of God. God provided for His people Israel because He desired to have a personal relationship with them. God provides for us as well, and when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days, He proved His eternal provision for us. When we submit to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and equip us to live in His provision in a manner that is pleasing to Him all the days of our lives. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; 17:28)

Next time Joshua says, “fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…