Through the Bible - Psalms 138-141, 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1
Good morning,
There come times in our Christian lives where we stand at a crossroads or in today's passage at a river. Do we cross? The river is at flood stage, it seems hopeless. How is it possible that we could arrive safely on the other side?
The crossing of the Jordan does not illustrate the passing of a soul into eternity, but rather is the passing from one stage, one level of Christian living to another. It means an end to the self life, trying to solve all of lifes issues on our own, or at least trying our own way first, and submitting to God.
Between the two lies this river, this obstacle in our life which seems impossible to cross.
Read today's verse:
Josh 3:9 So Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God." 10 And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. NKJV
Alan Redpath in his book "Victorious Christian Living" writes, "The children of Israel approached and saw the desirable land in the distance, but realized that between them and the blessing was an impossibility. Does that describe you today? You see the possibility of blessing, you see life on a new level, you recognize that your life has been defeated and far from fulfilling God's intentions, but between the blessing and you there is Jordan. You must step by faith up to the impossibility.
The people put their feet at the brink of the river and it was dried up before them by the presence of the Ark of the Covenant. They had been told to watch the ark as they went through, and with their eyes away from the land of blessing they saw only the Ark of the Covenant. Therefore, as they went through the river, the Ark was between them and impossibility."
So it is with us today. Christ stand between us and impossibility. Let us keep our eyes focused on Him and He will dry up the Jordan in our lives, but we must step out in faith.
Read the passage. How does this speak to you today?
In Christ,
Mike
Josh 3:1-4:1
Israel Crosses the Jordan3 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. 2 So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; 3 and they commanded the people, saying,"When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before." 5 And Joshua said to the people,"Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." 6 Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying,"Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people."So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. 7 And the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.'" 9 So Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God." 10 And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. 13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap." 14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan. TNKJV
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