July 24 – The Raging River (Joshua 3:9-17)

“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.”
(Joshua 3:14-15)

IN WORD:
Have you ever wondered why God chose a harvest time for the Israelites to cross the Jordan into the Promised land? The Jordan is a less-than-formidable barrier for much of the year, and 40 years of wandering would have provided ample opportunity for them to cross at a more convenient time. But no, Moses’ death and the Israelite’s arrival on the eastern bank of the river took them to their boundary at exactly its highest moment. Why?
God wants us to follow His wisdom — His guidance, His timing, His purposes. But we often let our circumstances dictate the path we take. The circumstances are formidable? Then we go another direction. The situation is an easy one? Then we follow the path of least resistance. Those whose lives are guided by this dynamic are following the ways of the world. The ways of God will lead us to the Jordan at its highest level. He will promise us deliverance in our darkest moments. He will provide for our needs most abundantly in a barren land. He will be for us a God of the impossible.

IN DEED:
Do not let the currents of your circumstances dictate the direction you’ll take. That’s. God’s domain. His voice is to speak more loudly to us than the boundaries that box us in. We must learn to see Him as the un-constrained God, the God who is not limited by the gaping need of our situation or the restrictiveness of our circumstances.
Why does God work this way? Maybe simply because it brings Him greater glory. When we take only humanly possible steps, we give our humanity the credit. God alone can be praised for overcoming an impossibility. Miracles point to Him. Expect them. Ask for them. Never let the raging river drown out His voice.

“Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.” -Corrie Ten Boom-