Online Reporter
“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 during the entire harvest season. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the river and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.” — Joshua 3:14-16
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HE nation of Israel stood at one of the most significant moments in its history.
For 40 years, they had wandered in the wilderness.
They had seen God’s provision, experienced His protection and witnessed His miracles. Yet despite all they had gone through, they were still standing on the wrong side of the promise.
Before them was the Jordan River and beyond it lay the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob generations earlier. The issue was never whether God had made a promise, as that promise was certain.
Rather, the issue was whether they would have the faith to cross over into what God had already prepared for them.
The same is true for us today. Whenever God brings us into a new season, there is usually a Jordan River standing between where we are and where He wants us to be.
That river may take the form of fear, uncertainty, opposition, disappointment or self-doubt. It may be a challenge that seems too immense or a situation that appears completely impossible.
Yet every new season demands a decisive step of faith.
What makes this account remarkable is that the Jordan River was overflowing its banks. God did not wait until conditions were favourable, nor did He wait until the waters were shallow.
Instead, He brought His people to the river when it appeared most difficult to cross. We often think the evidence of God’s presence is the absence of obstacles, but He frequently demonstrates His power in the middle of overwhelming circumstances.
Notice that the waters did not part while the priests stood at a distance.
The miracle began only when they moved forward in obedience, as their feet had to touch the water before the river opened up.
God was teaching Israel a powerful lesson: Faith is not waiting until everything makes sense but acting simply because God has spoken.
Many people pray for God to move while remaining in the exact same place.
They ask for new opportunities while refusing to take steps of faith and they hope for a breakthrough while remaining unwilling to move beyond their comfort zone. God’s power is readily available, but He often waits for our obedience before revealing the miracle.
Crossing into a new season requires courage. The priests could not see the dry ground before they stepped forward; they had to trust God’s word more than what their eyes could see. In the same way, we are called to trust His promises even when our circumstances seem contrary to what He has spoken.
Perhaps you are standing before your own Jordan River today.
You know God is calling you into something greater, but the path ahead looks uncertain.
Remember that the God who led Israel to the river was also the God who made a way through it. The obstacle that appears impossible to you presents no difficulty for Him. The same God who parted the Red Sea for Moses parted the Jordan River for Joshua.
The same God who sustained His people in the wilderness carried them into their Promised Land.
Furthermore, the same God who brought you through previous seasons will remain faithful in this one.
He has not brought you this far only to leave you stranded on the edge of your promise. As God calls you into a new season, do not focus on the size of the river.
Focus instead on the greatness of the God who stands beside you.
Your responsibility is to obey and to step forward in faith, while God’s responsibility is to make a way where there seems to be no way.
Today, hear the voice of the Lord saying, “Move forward.”
The wilderness season is ending, and the season of crossing over has arrived.
Step into the water, trust God’s promise and watch Him do what only He can do. Your new season is not beyond reach, for the God who promised it is the God who will bring you into it.
It is well. Amen.
