"as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"
These are the words of Joshua to the people of Israel Joshua 24:15.
The people replied, "we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:21). The record continues in verse 31, "And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel."
When "there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim. And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers" (Judges 2:10-12).
By the Isaiah's time God summed up the attitude and behaviour of his people as drawing "near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men".
How is our Faith?
What is faith? Romans 10:17 notes "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" and Hebrews 11:1 says "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen".
We have choice. Choice to follow God's way (behaviour, action and thinking) or our own desires. We are encouraged to be more like Abraham - "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11:8). Abraham wasn't a perfect man, but one that walked using God as his guide. God promised Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2). We can be part of this promise by baptism and a walk in Jesus' footsteps:
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29).