Crossing Jordan

Rivers and other bodies of water are often used by God as a time and symbol of deliverance. The Nile was used to protect Moses and deliver him to pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2: 1-10); the Red Sea was parted to allow the Israelites to escape the pursuing Egyptians (Exodus 13:17-15:21), and the Jordan River was made to stop it’s flow to allow the Israelites to cross to the promised land. (Joshua 3:15-17)

How many times have we felt like we were standing at the bank of an insurmountable challenge, an uncrossable river, with no hope of success?

Do we panic like most of the Israelites did repeatedly, or do we precede with the confidence of Moses who knew that God would deliver them?

Do we trust that God can use the simplest of items, circumstances or people to accomplish His will or do we insist on forging our own solutions?

Many of us come into this Christian way with a history of belief in our ability to solve our own problems; and we hold onto this belief despite many failures. We see this in our readiness to attempt to take over even when we have asked God to intervene. We sometimes see it when our prayers sound more like marching orders and “to do lists” for God than supplication to our Holy Father.

It takes time, gentle reminders and sometimes hard knocks for us to seriously “Let go and Let God.”

Sometimes we need to review the miracles of deliverance in the bible to remind ourselves of God’s majestic capacity for provision for His people. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are His people. We sometimes need to remind ourselves that God’s power of provision is not a thing of the past, that He is as much God today as he was for Moses and other old time prophets.

For me, it is also important to review those times when God abandoned “gentle reminders” for more striking consequences for repeated and serious challenges to His Way. Reviewing these times in biblical history helps me to sooner reach “ah hah” moments.

The fascinating thing about “studying to show thyself approved” is that studying the word offers so many opportunities to get closer to God and to benefit from His promises.

I truly thank God for these opportunities.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!