My House will be His House! Pt 1-

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14-15

On Father’s Day 2008 I turned to the final chapter of Joshua. You all are familiar with the quote I used. Joshua was 110 years old, served Moses for 40 years, and now had been leading the children of Israel in the promise land for 25 years. His task is done. The land has been conquered, divided up and given as inheritance to the tribes to settle and prosper in.

Joshua was a great leader for the nation of Israel. But he was also a great leader for his family! I noted 3 things that he did as a father:

1. He was the leader in his home! He was the leader of his household. He did not abdicate that nor lord it over his family. He was a man of courage, integrity, and conviction. Joshua knew that a nation was only as strong as its Fathers. Joshua knew that the father holds in his power the security of today and the potential of tomorrow.

If as fathers we choose to ignore the God-given responsibility we have been given, we unknowingly are sowing seeds of wickedness that is destined to confront us. A.B. Simpson called this the “wickedness of weakness” when we men refuse to fulfill our place as the leader of our household. Yet I have seen this abdication time and time again of fathers.

I have spent my years here at the Vine encouraging men to be the leaders in their home. I can’t make men be that- but there is this ‘wickedness of weakness’ I have watched time and again as strong willed women have led their family out of the Vine and other churches followed by their husbands saying “Yes, dear.” These men acquiesced without one ounce of backbone to stand up to their wives and be the leader of the home that makes those kind of decisions!

God, please let men be men and fulfill their destiny you have for them!

Parts 2 & 3 to follow with other 2 things that Joshua was as a Father.