As a young boy I was drawn to the battle and story of the Alamo. Mexican army leaders had told the men inside the Alamo to surrender, or all defenders would be killed with no prisoners taken at the end. The Mexican army had about 4,000 men the defenders inside the Alamo had roughly 200 men.
Just before the final battle at the Alamo, Colonel Travis drew a line in the dirt with his sword and asked his men to decide what each of them was going to do. Surrender and leave the Alamo or step over the line and defend the Alamo to their deaths? After a siege of roughly two weeks the Mexican army attacked at dawn on March 6, 1836. The battle was over in about 90 minutes with all defenders’ dead.
Whether or not the story of the line in the dirt is just a story or the truth doesn’t matter. At some point each man inside the Alamo had to make up his mind whether he was staying or leaving.
Today we also have a choice. We can believe in Jesus as our savior and serve our creator, God the Father or we can choose not to. At the moment in the United States of America we might get made fun of or put down for choosing to believe and serve God, but in some places around the world men, women and children are being imprisoned, tortured and killed for their belief. Some day that persecution may come to us also.
Our choice today doesn’t come with a consequence of a death sentence immediately, but it will lead to a decision of how our lives will go in this world and where our soul will live after the physical body dies.
Joshua was the leader of the nation of Israel after Moses died. Joshua led the people into the Promised Land, and it was battle after battle, but with God on their side how could they lose? At one point Joshua drew a line in the sand also.
Joshua 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day who you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living now. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Today our choices of who we will serve are many and where do you spend your time and money? Do you serve money, fame, power, technology, alcohol, drugs, sex, your job, your home, your vacations, government, sports? You get the picture. Today draw a line in the dirt and decide who you will serve. Whether literally, a line in the dirt or not, you are making a choice. Choose wisely.