Choose for yourselves this day, whom you will serve, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15b The family is the first and last line of defense against the spiritual forces that wage war against us and our children. In the beginning, God established the family before any nation, government or church. The family is under attack today. As people have left the Lord and His principles for marriage and sex (in that order) and godly parenting, Satan has filled in the gap with astonishing new doctrines of devils that seek to destroy the family and ruin lives. (One of the major tenets of Socialism is for the state to raise children and control the decisions that are made in the family.) They are even seeking to redefine the family, but God is not mocked. None of these attacks on the family are new; Joshua (of the battle of Jericho fame) had to fight for his family.

The people of Israel were about to enter the land of promise. While it was indeed a land flowing with milk and honey, there were dangers from within and from without. Enemy soldiers would be trying to kill the people of God with weapons of warfare. Idol worshipers would be trying to kill the people of God with weapons from the pit of hell – to introduce them to their practices of idol worship, rituals of lust, child sacrifice and sorcery; to entice them to marry pagan worshipers and lose their identity as the people of God. (Today the choices are different, but the evil is the same.) It was in this hostile context that Joshua spoke these words that still ring true today, As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Josh. 24:15b

What if every family had the same resolve? What if every father protected his family from evil like Joshua? Our country would be much better off. The Lord loves families and hates the sins that lead to lost children, broken homes, broken hearts, and the destruction of the family. We must stand up for the truth or we will fall for a lie. When it comes to our families, to be neglectful is to invite evil in.

It has been said the families that pray together stay together. This is true. Studies have indicated that a couple who prays regularly together has only a 1% chance of divorce, compared to about 50% chance in the general population (The Family that Prays Together, Dr. David & Jan Stoops). Obviously just attending church or saying one is a Christian does not produce the same results. Our faith must be put into practice for it to work, and we must depend on the unseen Hand.

For Me To Live is Christ I am blessed to have a godly heritage that dates back several generations. Still, the Lord knows, when I look in the mirror, I don’t see a man who has it all together, but a man who needs God’s grace more than ever. We fall so short of God’s best in many ways, but His mercy is new every morning. I pray toward this end: that the Lord will keep His covenant with the Hamm family for a thousand generations should He tarry. Will you do the same for your family?

Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments. Deut. 7:9

What if this is not your story? Many families do not have a godly heritage, but like Rahab the harlot, it’s never too late to get started. Rahab forsook a dead, pagan god to love the living God, and she and her household were saved (Heb. 11:31). She is in the genealogy of Jesus. After all, God is in the business of saving families.