It’s a new month, and you know what that means. A new set of scriptures for Good Word Friday. In honor of Independence Day, our next theme focuses on a specific type of freedom: free will.

We believe that God created us with a free will to make choices.

God has His own will for each life that He creates, but He doesn’t force us to puppet the perfect plan He’s laid out. We are free to follow — or not.

It’s the beauty and tragedy of every human life.

Today’s scripture sums up the most important free-will decision we have to make: to serve the Lord or not?

By the time Joshua chapter 24 rolls around, the people of Israel have left Egypt, wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, crossed the Jordan, and conquered some Canaanite peoples. Their leader, Joshua, who is now nearing the end of his life, reminds the people of how far they’ve come and urges them to stop serving “strange” gods who are not the one true God.

Have you made this free-will choice in your own heart? If not, let today be the day.

If you’ve already decided to serve the Lord, then how’s it going? Are there any strange gods or idols trying to slowly steal away your allegiance to Jesus?

Do you sometimes feel “forced” into following God’s commandments rather than doing it of your own free will, and why might that be?

No matter where you are spiritually at this point in time, the good news (and the bad news) is that you determine where you’ll go next.

2 Nephi 2:27 puts it this way: “They are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil.”

We pray that you choose liberty and eternal life in Christ Jesus!

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This article has undergone ministry review and approval.