“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” — Joshua 24:15
Joshua spent his life fighting battles—but his last recorded act was not military. It was spiritual leadership. As the people stood gathered before him, Joshua issued a call that has echoed through centuries: *”Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”* (Joshua 24:15).
He was old—“advanced in years” (Joshua 23:1)—but not detached. He still led. Still exhorted. Still pressed the people toward the covenant-keeping God. His final charge was not passive—it was prophetic.
Joshua had seen it all. He had walked through the Red Sea. Watched the walls of Jericho fall. Led conquests, divided land, and buried Moses. His life had been long and full. But instead of resting in nostalgia, he chose to invest his voice in legacy.
Joshua knew what was at stake. The generation he addressed had grown up in the wilderness. They had tasted God’s provision, seen His miracles—but now they were in the land of promise. And comfort has a way of dulling conviction.
So Joshua challenged them: *”Fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth… put away the gods which your fathers served”* (Joshua 24:14). He wasn’t asking for half-hearted devotion. He was drawing a line.
But even if no one else crossed that line, Joshua had already made his choice. “As for me and my house…” He didn’t wait for consensus. He didn’t lead by opinion polls. He took responsibility—for his faith, his family, his future. He understood that finishing well requires clarity of commitment.
It still does.
The longer we live, the more temptations arise to soften, to blend in, to let the next generation take over while we quietly fade. But Joshua didn’t retreat. He stood. And his choice wasn’t just for him—it shaped his household.
That declaration wasn’t merely a personal motto. It was a leadership decision. He modeled covenant faithfulness, and he passed it on. *”Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua”* (Joshua 24:31). His life bore fruit even after he died. That is what it means to finish full of sap and very green.
Joshua reminds us: if you can still speak, you can still lead. If you can still stand, you can still shape a generation. And if you still believe, you can still declare, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Further Reading
Joshua 24:15 — “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 — “These words… shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons.”
Psalm 78:4 — “We will tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous works.”
Reflection Questions
1. What stands in the way of you making a bold, public commitment like Joshua’s?
2. How can you lead your household—or those under your influence—to serve the Lord?
3. What does it look like to finish your life with that kind of legacy? Suggested Prayer\
Lord, give me the courage to stand firm and speak boldly. Let my life and my legacy declare that I have chosen You—and may those who come after me follow in that choice.
This devotional is excerpted from Full of Sap and Very Green by D.C. Robertsson.
