put your foot in the water
In November my favorite pastor preached a sermon that really hit me and has stuck with me. He was preaching out of Joshua where the Israelites cross the Jordan River and enter the promised land after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. There they are at the edge of the river. The command is simple: cross the river and take the promised land.
The river is just overflowing its banks, at the height of the flood season, in fact. But all they have to do is cross it. That was the command from God. Retrospectively it is easy to say that they have nothing to fear, but standing there, looking at that river, I imagine there were plenty of worried thoughts.
But that first step into the water was what changed everything. The river stopped flowing. It backed up. The Israelites crossed on dry ground. How incredible! They entered into the promised land because of a single step.
We all have a "promised land" that we are facing. We all have a flooded River Jordan between us and that promised land. And we all have a single step that we have to take to get there. A single moment that will change everything. This was the message that he preached.
And it was the message that I needed to hear. I felt the nudge at my heart. Go on. Step into the water. Watch me do something incredibly impossible. I didn't see how there was a way, but I knew that I had to step into the water. Especially with abundant life looking me square in the eyes from across the flooded river banks.
And just like for the Israelites, my flood waters parted. Where there was no way, a path appeared. I found myself walking on dry ground instead of attempting to swim in murky waters. The things that I needed fell into place, and I find myself today dwelling in a promised land.
I will face other Jordan Rivers in my life time. I will be in the wilderness trying to cross into the promised land. And I will listen to the voice calling to me from the other side, telling me to step into the water, and take the promised land. I will step forward with confidence as a beloved child of God because I trust Him to lead me.
The river is just overflowing its banks, at the height of the flood season, in fact. But all they have to do is cross it. That was the command from God. Retrospectively it is easy to say that they have nothing to fear, but standing there, looking at that river, I imagine there were plenty of worried thoughts.
But that first step into the water was what changed everything. The river stopped flowing. It backed up. The Israelites crossed on dry ground. How incredible! They entered into the promised land because of a single step.
We all have a "promised land" that we are facing. We all have a flooded River Jordan between us and that promised land. And we all have a single step that we have to take to get there. A single moment that will change everything. This was the message that he preached.
And it was the message that I needed to hear. I felt the nudge at my heart. Go on. Step into the water. Watch me do something incredibly impossible. I didn't see how there was a way, but I knew that I had to step into the water. Especially with abundant life looking me square in the eyes from across the flooded river banks.
And just like for the Israelites, my flood waters parted. Where there was no way, a path appeared. I found myself walking on dry ground instead of attempting to swim in murky waters. The things that I needed fell into place, and I find myself today dwelling in a promised land.
I will face other Jordan Rivers in my life time. I will be in the wilderness trying to cross into the promised land. And I will listen to the voice calling to me from the other side, telling me to step into the water, and take the promised land. I will step forward with confidence as a beloved child of God because I trust Him to lead me.
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