Standing On Jordan's Banks

Joshua 3:7-17 (NKJV)
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.

What stands in the way of where you are and where God wills you to be? What obstacles are up against you? I am sure you can identify them easily. So could Israel. The obstacle that stood between them and actually setting foot in the long awaited promised land was a flooded Jordan river they had to cross.

Simple enough. They could have just waited out the flooded river. They had waited that long. What would a few more weeks mean? That was not what God had in mind. He commanded them to go forward. Specifically He told Joshua to command the priests to step foot in the Jordan and to stand still. IMPOSSIBLE.

If you know anything about flood waters it only takes a few inches to actually move a car and to knock someone off their feet. God and Joshua expected those priests to go to the edge of the Jordan carrying the ark of the covenant and to step in. Flood waters and all. What did that first row of priests think? Did they fear? Did they doubt? Did they question the logic of stepping into the flood waters and being swept away? Maybe they recalled the famous story of what God did at the Red Sea and how He parted those waters.

We can't just live on the faith adventures of generations gone by. As much as I love to read about George Mueller, Jackie Pullinger, Amy Carmichael, John Hyde, and Hudson Taylor what God did for them in their day does not help me in my day. Each generation needs to experience the power of God for themselves. What God did for Israel at the Red Sea could serve as inspiration but that story alone could not solve their problem. Just retelling Bible stories and testimonies of what God did in the past is not enough. Yes those things are necessary and helpful. We need to link them with modern day experiences of God miraculously intervening on behalf of His people again.

Some are quick to point out," Where are the miracles? God does not move that way anymore." I in turn would ask you a question. Where are you standing? As you question the miracle working power of God do you do so from the safety of the banks of the Jordan river of your life? Do you pray for a miracle and commit to step only after the waters are dried up first?

I am standing right in the Jordan. Brenda and I have put ourselves in a position to absolutely need God for miracles. We're utterly abandoned to Him. We fully surrendered. We will either sink and be swept away in utter failure or protected, sustained and provided for by God.

I have taken what feels like hundreds of faith steps. One thing I can say confidently. God rarely does the miracle before He requires a person to take a faith step first. The miracle follows the faith step. We ant the miracle to precede the faith step.

Standing on the banks of the Jordan in your life is easy. It does not require courage, conviction or commitment. It comes natural to plant yourself on the safe side. The miracles are on the other side of faith steps. Until you fully commit, step all in and go to the point of no return you may never see the power of God on display around you.

Churches play it safe. Christians root themselves in comfort and security. You can spend the rest of your life standing on Jordan's banks. Many do. They never move forward. They never step out in faith. They see imminent dangers ahead. They prefer a stable life. The adventure really begins when you and I fully commit to follow and we step off the banks into the flooded Jordan. That's where the miracles are. That's where the adventure really begins.

Stand still or step out? It's your move.