When was the last time you felt the stick of a goad? Or to put in another way, who last goaded you into something?

I visited my gastroenterologist recently. I steeled myself for bad news—when am I due for my next colonoscopy? She referenced her charts and then withdrew the goad. Four more years (with foot-dragging I’ll stretch that to six). Good health often requires some goading.

Shamgar, the third judge of Israel, struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad, thus delivering the nation. An oxgoad is a long stick, either sharpened on one end, or fit with an iron spike and/or hook. It’s used to prod oxen in the direction the driver prefers. Today people use an electric cattle prod for the same purposes.

No one likes feeling the goad, particularly those Philistines. Paul referred to kicking against the goads when describing his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. It’s painful and harmful to kick against a sharpened, barbed spear.

Which doesn’t stop me from bucking the goad. Like a big dumb ox, I often need a little pain to move me in the right direction. I may not like it, but part of me understands, and remains grateful, for the Lord’s goads in my life.

Judges 3 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

In his last great speech, Joshua laid a choice before each individual in the nation of Israel—choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Either the gods of Egypt, the gods of their new land, or the Lord who led them to where they stood. The people responded enthusiastically for the Lord and placed a large stone as a witness of their commitment.

Joshua committed to serving the Lord regardless of what came next. He committed to a dogged faith, committed to clinging to the Lord despite tragedy and hard times. His promise also extended to times of prosperity and peace, when it’s easy to forget the Lord and turn to self-congratulation.

Joshua’s line in the sand served his family and his generation well. They stayed close to the Lord and followed his ways. The following generation not so much. They eased into the faith on their fathers and mothers, missed the firm personal commitment to serve the Lord and stumbled badly.

Our faith stands only one generation deep. We each decide for ourselves if we will serve the Lord with all the grit and determination required, or allow ourselves and our families to drift into chaotic streams of our world’s desires and priorities.

Will I serve the Lord and follow his Word, or will I give in to the latest prevailing notions of the culture we swim in?

Will I serve the Lord or will I serve the gods all around me?

Will I serve the Lord or will I compromise?

Joshua’s challenge rings in my ears today—choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. My answer? As best I can, I will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Jon Tyson

Years ago when I worked with students at Missouri State University, a pair of creative guys made a video illustrating Jesus’s parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus told the parable to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.

They filmed their interpretation of the Pharisee’s prayer in the middle of a busy sidewalk on campus. With students steaming in all directions, one of the guys stood on a platform, raised his hands in a “look at how great I am” pose and appealed to heaven. I thought he was hilarious, but only a few stopped to watch—a guy acting weird and another guy filming it raises few eyebrows on campus.

For the tax collector, they filmed in a quiet, out-of-the-way place. The amateur video (shot with a camcorder) turned out better than expected, and I still remember it as I consider the parable. They caught the essence of the teaching.

The humble man, the tax collector, went home justified before God. Not the prideful Pharisee, despite his strict adherence to all the religious rules. Jesus emphasized this point to his audience: For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

I relate to the Pharisee more than the tax collector, so these words prick at my ego. But you and I also live in an unprecedented era of self-promotion launched and sustained by the endless assault of social media. Everyone tweets confident of their own righteousness, or takes to social media in the same mindset.

Jesus pushes us to stop looking at our screens and start looking at our hearts. How rarely I beat my breast with downcast eyes and cry, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. But this is the path to humility, and only those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Luke 18 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Timon Studler

Sometimes Jesus did things in bunches. In one instance he walked up on a group of 10 lepers who respectfully kept their distance while yelling, Jesus, Master, have pity on us!

Jesus sent them off to the priests, and the lepers were cleansed. I wonder if part of this miracle involved the priests watching lepers heal before their eyes, knowing Jesus aimed them their direction? Was Jesus giving these priests another opportunity to realize who he was?

Regardless, one of the now healthy lepers returned to Jesus. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. But only one. Jesus asked, Where are the other nine? (Some say this is the first mention of baseball in the Bible, but I’m not so sure).

Only the Samaritan returned, a man from a race scorned up by the Jews. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, this man recognized Jesus as Messiah and returned to give praise.

The incident reminds me again that Jesus heals everyone, people from every tribe, tongue and nation, and every race, color and creed. None of us stand too dirty or too far off or too sick to cry—Jesus, Master, have pity!

To such a cry from the heart Jesus responds, no matter where you’re from or what disease you carry.

Luke 17 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Rosie Kerr