Oh the joy of getting lost in a really good book. If you enjoy a good read, you should really read the Bible. It has it all.
Captivity, escape.
Epic battles, extraordinary victories.
A rebellious bride, a relentless groom.
Fear, faith.
Promises made, promises kept.
Miracles.
And I'm not talking about Jess-sized miracles. (Like the miracle that I won last year's fantasy football league.)
I'm talking God-sized miracles. The kind of miracle we read about in Joshua when the Israelites were trying to enter the promised land.
Who doesn't love a good miracle? Who doesn't want a miracle?
And if we can just be real with one another right now, who doesn't need a miracle?
If you've been wandering in the wilderness for what feels like forever and you're soul weary...
If you've made it to the banks of an impassable river, but feel helpless and stuck...
If the giants look too big and your strength feels too small....
...Then you can relate to the Israelites desperateness of needing a miracle.
They had been promised a land that was flowing with milk and honey and yet from all they could see the future held a land full of giants and impenetrable walls. Besides, they'd have to somehow cross a flooding river to even approach the land. They had come to the end of themselves. If ever a miracle was needed, it was then.
***Spoiler alert***
The Israelites get their miracle.
God parts the waters of the Jordan river and the people cross on dry land.
God keeps His promise. He always does.
Miracles of this nature are EXTRAordinary and should stop us in our tracks in awe. But behind the bright lights of the miracles are everyday, ordinary RICHES we can't afford to miss.
Treasure #1:
"As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it." Joshua 3:3
God didn't just part the waters and tell the Israelites to walk across. He went before them. In the same way a scared child hides behind his daddy's legs, we often shrink away from the unknown in fear. We cry out, "I'm scared! I don't know how-YOU go first!!!" And our heavenly Father, out of His deep deep love for us, goes first.
"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8
He is a good father. He will lead you in the path you should go. Get behind your dad and go forward in confidence. He knows the way to abundant life.
Treasure #2:
"Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before." Joshua 3:3-5
Why does God command the Israelites not to come near His presence? Is He a far off, impersonal God? NO! This detail is beautiful and is why reading in context is so important. You see there were hundreds of thousands of Israelites needing a miracle and only one arc of the covenant of the Lord. Have you ever stood on the floor level at a concert, just you and several hundred of your closest friends? How well could you see the band? Ya. You get the point. So God gives a command, to stay 8 football fields away from the arc, in order that ALL the Israelites would have a front row view of His presence, His power, and His promises. As they obeyed God's command, and stood up on the hillside, they could clearly see the priests carrying the arc step into the water and they witnessed the water pile up in heaps on either side. You see, the Israelites didn't just get their miracle; But in their obedience, our gracious God gave the Israelites the incredible gift of an unobstructed view of their miracle unfolding.
"The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes." Psalm 19:8
His commands are for our good and bring us great joy.
Treasure #3:
"And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.” Joshua 3:13
We've already spilled the beans that God parts the waters of the Jordan river and the Israelites cross without incident. But do you see what had to happen first? THE PRIESTS HAD TO STEP INTO THE FLOOD WATERS!! Am I the only one who didn't pick up on this in the Sunday school felt board presentation of this miracle? We are not called to a passive entitled life! We are called to be men and women of action! To get our feet wet!
"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:17
We are fools if we think we can just sit on our hands, say we trust God, and wait for miracles to fall all around us. God requires us to STEP OUT in faith. Faith AND action. Do you truly believe God is sovereign and that He is good? Then step into the flood waters.
Treasure #4:
"When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan." Joshua 3:8b
Was there something magical about the feet of the priests that made the waters part? Did the priests step into the water and then start frantically pushing the water away from them as hard as they could to try to create a way through the river? NO! Think about it. How foolish, ridiculous and futile would that be anyways? God calls them to step into the flooding river. Then he tells them to stand still. God and God alone has the power to make a way through an impassable river.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
God calls us to step forward and lean into difficult and scary situations. He does not call us to scheme, manipulate, worry and strive to make our way. He calls us to enter into the mess, not to clean up the mess. Be still. Let the God of the heavens AND the earth rule.
Are you waiting for your miracle? Miracles DO happen! But it's not the everyday norm; miracles are EXTRAordinary. While you're waiting for your miracle, don't miss out on the seemingly ordinary gifts that God gives us in His word. Deposit these treasures deep into the recesses of your heart.
- God is with you and goes before you. Are you scared? Never gone this way before? Not sure which way to go? God, with the love of a father, leads the way. Get behind him. Set your eyes on Him. Follow Him. He knows the way and He is with you.
- God's commands are for your good. Do you hate being told what to do? Do you find yourself stiffening at His commands? Do you honestly believe His commands are for your good or do you find them stifling? Oh the joy and LIFE that you're missing when you refuse to submit to His ways! Trust Him AND OBEY. His commands are for our BEST!
- Be a man/woman of action! Don't be a passive christian! Position yourself in a place where you can clearly see the Lord. Then when you see Him move, follow Him! Even if it means putting your feet into flooding waters. Is God calling you into dangerous, messy waters? Don't be afraid to get your feet wet. You can trust Him.
- Be still. Have you followed God right into murky waters, only to begin frantically trying to make your own way? You are not God. Stop trying to orchestrate miracles. Be faithful to go where God calls you to go and do what God calls you to do. Then be still. And watch as God changes hearts and brings life to what was once dead.
If you're desperate for miracles without and within, dig into God's word. Then watch as the miracle of a new life with sure hope unfolds.
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26
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