Joshua 3:14-17 "And it came to pass,
when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests
bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; (15) And as they
that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare
the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his
banks all the time of harvest,) (16) That the waters which came
down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam,
that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain,
even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right
against Jericho. (17) And the priests that bare the ark of the
covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the
Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean
over Jordan."
God's promises are true. How many times can we repeat that? I think most of us need reminding on a regular basis. We take hold of His promise. We believe it. We declare our trust in Him. We take the first step. But then what happens? Maybe what I'm saying so far does not apply to you. If so, please pray for the rest of us. It seems to me that when I am in the setting of friendly God fearing people that I can take hold of those promises and be strengthened in them. Then when I leave the meeting house and go back into an unfriendly world, it is not quite so easy.
There is a scene portrayed in the book of Ezekiel where the Lord leads him into the water. At first he goes to the ankle, then to the knee, then deeper and finally he is swimming in the water. Sometimes, we want to jump in over our heads and then we do not know what to do. The Lord is longsuffering and merciful. He understands our weakness and He helps us deal with those weaknesses. He leads us gently and when we feel we cannot walk, He lifts us up in His arms and carries us. A Gospel song that was popular several years ago says, "I am learning to lean on Jesus."
Why am I going off on a tangent this morning? Let's look at the steps taken by Israel in our verses today. The first thing they did was listen to the direction given by the Lord. Then they removed themselves from the tent. They left their comfort zone. They understood Joshua was now their leader. By faith, the priests stepped into the water. When they did, the water stood on a heap in obedience to the command of God. As the priests stood there, holding the ark of the covenant, the people stepped into the river bed and walked across to the other side. Yes, God is faithful. He said He would and He did. Again, I ask myself - How many times do I need to hear that? I'm thankful that no matter how many times I hear those words, they ring true! God is always faithful. I want to be faithful to Him even if it means taking baby steps.
Lord, teach me your way that I might experience life to its fullest. The world drains and opposes that which is true by offering a substitute that only robs of true joy. Your way, O Lord, is the path of righteousness. It is the right path for us. Help us to lean on you, we pray in Christ's name. Amen.
God's promises are true. How many times can we repeat that? I think most of us need reminding on a regular basis. We take hold of His promise. We believe it. We declare our trust in Him. We take the first step. But then what happens? Maybe what I'm saying so far does not apply to you. If so, please pray for the rest of us. It seems to me that when I am in the setting of friendly God fearing people that I can take hold of those promises and be strengthened in them. Then when I leave the meeting house and go back into an unfriendly world, it is not quite so easy.
There is a scene portrayed in the book of Ezekiel where the Lord leads him into the water. At first he goes to the ankle, then to the knee, then deeper and finally he is swimming in the water. Sometimes, we want to jump in over our heads and then we do not know what to do. The Lord is longsuffering and merciful. He understands our weakness and He helps us deal with those weaknesses. He leads us gently and when we feel we cannot walk, He lifts us up in His arms and carries us. A Gospel song that was popular several years ago says, "I am learning to lean on Jesus."
Why am I going off on a tangent this morning? Let's look at the steps taken by Israel in our verses today. The first thing they did was listen to the direction given by the Lord. Then they removed themselves from the tent. They left their comfort zone. They understood Joshua was now their leader. By faith, the priests stepped into the water. When they did, the water stood on a heap in obedience to the command of God. As the priests stood there, holding the ark of the covenant, the people stepped into the river bed and walked across to the other side. Yes, God is faithful. He said He would and He did. Again, I ask myself - How many times do I need to hear that? I'm thankful that no matter how many times I hear those words, they ring true! God is always faithful. I want to be faithful to Him even if it means taking baby steps.
Lord, teach me your way that I might experience life to its fullest. The world drains and opposes that which is true by offering a substitute that only robs of true joy. Your way, O Lord, is the path of righteousness. It is the right path for us. Help us to lean on you, we pray in Christ's name. Amen.