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Faith Sees You Through What Doubt Can't See From Joshua 3:7-17: The Lord said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, "When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.' " Joshua then said to the Israelites, "Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God." Joshua said, "By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap." When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.
Life is a series of first steps. A baby begins by crawling and exploring, and sometimes comes to the edge of the blanket set on the floor, and looks around before venturing off of it onto the floor. Then comes the literal first step, marking the day that child no longer holds onto the coffee table or wall, to take that step. Each time most babies will have a smile of joy, some even squeal with delight at that accomplishment. The first steps that follow are harder but necessary. As faith becomes a part of that child's life, it serves as strength to encounter and overcome the hardships and challenges that may come its way. Imagine the first steps Joshua had to take when the mantle of leadership fell on him. He had awfully big shoes (sandals?) to fill; Moses was "the man," and Joshua, at first, "not so much." Yet, both men had God on their side, and to both men, God said, "I am with you; do as I tell you." In this case, God wanted to show Israel that He was guiding Joshua just as He had guided Moses; but the big test came in selecting one man from each of the 12 tribes to carry the ark of the Lord into the Jordan River. Each man knew of the power of the ark and how the wrong person carrying it usually died; the first step would be to have the faith needed to touch the ark. Then to lift it and to begin walking with the ark into the bank overflowing waters of this river. Your feet might get wet, but the rest will be a cinch, might have been what Joshua said to these twelve. Ask yourself, Do I have the faith to get my feet wet as I set off to walk across a river?
We may not literally get asked by God to cross a river, but we are asked to cross the aisle in church; across the street from the church; and across rivers of difference between races, cultures, ideologies, and whatever else has for years divided our churches. Yes, our feet may get wet, or even stepped or stomped on; but the trip towards a promised land of new life and cooperation will make the whole journey worth it.
PRAYER: Loving God, strengthen my heart, my mind and my willingness to move forward in faith to cross over whatever has been dividing me and Your Church, towards a new life with new people, myself included. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
