Loving God of unexpected joys and surprises, may this day prove to such a joy to this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Joshua 3: 7 God said to Joshua, "This very day I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel. They'll see for themselves that I'm with you in the same way that I was with Moses. 8 You will command the priests who are carrying the Chest of the Covenant: 'When you come to the edge of the Jordan's waters, stand there on the river bank.'" 9 Then Joshua addressed the People of Israel: "Attention! Listen to what God, your God, has to say. 10 This is how you'll know that God is alive among you - he will completely dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 11 Look at what's before you: the Chest (Ark) of the Covenant. Think of it - the Master of the entire earth is crossing the Jordan as you watch. 12 Now take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the Chest of God, Master of all the earth, touch the Jordan's water, the flow of water will be stopped - the water coming from upstream will pile up in a heap." 14 And that's what happened. The people left their tents to cross the Jordan, led by the priests carrying the Chest of the Covenant. 15 When the priests got to the Jordan and their feet touched the water at the edge (the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest), 16 the flow of water stopped. It piled up in a heap - a long way off - at Adam, which is near Zarethan. The river went dry all the way down to the Arabah Sea (the Salt Sea). And the people crossed, facing Jericho. 17 And there they stood; those priests carrying the Chest of the Covenant stood firmly planted on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground. Finally the whole nation was across the Jordan, and not one wet foot. (The Message)
To follow someone as leader of a group or organization or even a church is never easy. The grief of having lost the former leader is not easily nor quickly forgotten, especially if the former leader was effective and well-loved. I have read and heard some less than pleasant stories of those who have come into an organization to try and lead once a beloved leader is gone. Think Apple Computers with Steve Jobs now gone. Think of a mega church with a new pastor. That's what God was addressing in the life of Joshua and the people of Israel. Moses was dead and now Joshua is in command. This selection was not an easy one for the usually grumbling people of God. And Josh knew that Mo was a hard act to follow! Yet, God steps in and says, "Don't worry about it, I am with you and beginning right now, you're going to look better and better in the eyes of these people." Keep in mind that it was Moses through whom God did some pretty amazing things, and most felt it was just Moses himself who had the power to open up the Red Sea and cross. Yet, now at the border of the Jordan River, God says, "Watch this." And another similar miracle happens, and the entire people of God, a new generation who had not experienced not seen the first miracle, only heard of it, now cross over dry land where there should be a river.
Josh's job was difficult. He had to convince the priests to trust God as they started walking towards the flood banks of the Jordan. There were twelve of them! He had to say to them, "Trust me, God is with us! Just walk!" Would you have had that faith to be one of the 12? How about the faith to be Joshua? Yet, the story says that the priests trusted enough to begin walking into the flood waters and to follow Joshua's command. The water opened up and across dry land they went into the Promised Land. The River Jordan has come to symbolize many things for many people since that day. Some even use it as the symbol of crossing from this life into the next. One song we sang a lot in Spanish was "I will not cross alone the Jordan River." And it's based on the faith we find in this story.
What "Jordan River" are you facing? What first steps do you have to take to make the journey across that challenge or opportunity? Trust God and start walking!
PRAYER: God of all faith, give me the faith of Joshua to face what I may face today. May I know You are with me as I walk towards the flooded banks of fear/opportunity. I know that with You by my side I will walk on dry land safely across. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
