A Step of Faith

Joshua 3:5-17 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’” Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

Our Wednesday night group started the “That the World May Know” Video Bible Study series with guide and teacher Ray Vander Laan. This week, we learn that the Canaanites worshipped Baal, whom they believed to be the god of water, rain, storm, wind and lightning. In their minds, the flooded river Jordan demonstrated Baal’s protection. God, however, was about to show that He alone is God and that He alone commands the forces of nature. To the Israelites, the Jordan River was a barrier, an obstacle to be crossed in order to reach the land God had promised to give them. In fact, this perspective is the source of our expression “to cross the Jordan”, which means to pass through something that stands in the way. In the dividing of the Jordan River, God was not just stronger than nature, but stronger than the Canaanites god Baal. Creator Father God is stronger than everything and every other god. Each one of us needs to reflect upon whether God is the God of everything or whether there are other things outside of His control and sphere of influence. God tells the Israelites that He’ll divide the river.

Joshua 4:23-24 “For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

 

What stands between you and where God is calling you to go, between you and what God wants to do through you? God will take care of it, but nothing will happen until you put your foot in the water (take the step of faith). We tend to say: “God, you take care of the river and I’ll be the first to the other side.” But what loosed the power of God was when the Israelites said: “God, live or die, I have to make a commitment, and they stepped in (seemingly over their heads, but he power of God divides the river and they are standing on dry ground in the middle). God acts often when people are willing to make that total commitment. The first step we need to take as followers of Creator God is to willingly say: “God, life is out there ahead of me, You’ve called me to all kinds of ministry, I don’t know for sure what it is, but instead of standing here until my life is all together and you have divided and removed all barriers and I can just walk into my life, we need to say; “God, I’m going to make a total commitment to you. I’m going to step in and get my feet wet. I’m yours because I believe when I make the commitment God acts.

Honestly, when you given your life to Jesus Christ, God clears the way. God clear the way when you that that first step of faith. God says: “Folks, there is a whole world out there that you have to be witnesses in. You need to confront the power of your cultures for Christ, but you cannot sit and wait until He figures it all out for you. As Christians, we also face obstacles that stand between us  and the work to which God has called us. Like the ancient Israelites, we also are often reluctant to step out in faith and follow God. Determine where God wants you to go. Determine where your abilities and interests are and then go. It has to be a total commitment. It has to be a step of faith commitment. Then pray, asking God to help you “cross the Jordan” and be the influence in your culture that He wants you to be. Thank Him for His love and faithfulness. Seek His help in facing the obstacles that lie ahead of you so that others will see your life and know that He is God.

 

In Christ, Brian