Tag: Joshua 3

Wading into Unknown Waters

Sometimes God asks us to move forward with a plan and only gives us minimal details. The Bible includes many stories of courageous, faith-filled people doing this, but one of my favorites is found in the book of Joshua.

For the past few weeks we’ve been following a high-level narrative of Scripture in tandem with Elizabeth Woodson’s From Beginning to Forever.1 While Woodson’s swift pace covers lots of ground, I want to pump the brakes here so we don’t miss the incredible story of Joshua leading the Israelites into the promised land.

First, stop and imagine how daunting it must have been for Joshua to receive the mantle of leadership from Moses. His predecessor had confronted Pharaoh and prevailed, spoken directly to God multiple times, and led the unruly and ungrateful Jews in the desert for 40 years. Maybe that’s why God admonishes Joshua three times in one conversation “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6,9,18).

The Lord tasks Joshua with leading roughly two million Jews across the Jordan River at flood stage when the swollen river was probably several hundred yards across. “Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’ Joshua said to the priests, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.’ So they took it up and went ahead of them. And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’” (Joshua 3:5-8, NIV)

Before experiencing the “amazing things” the Lord would do, the people were required to consecrate themselves. This included bathing and washing their clothes—physically purifying themselves to symbolize spiritual purification and to honor the Lord as holy. “This was often done before making a sacrifice or, as in this case, before witnessing a great act of God. God’s law stated that a person could become unclean for many reasons…God used these various outward signs of uncleaness to illustrate man’s inward uncleaness that comes as a result of sin. The consecration ceremony pictured the importance of approaching God with a pure heart.”2 This couldn’t have been an easy process for people with no modern conveniences who had been living in the desert sands but the process of physical cleansing helped them understand and appreciate the beauty of spiritual purity found only in God.

Once everyone was scrubbed clean and packed up to move forward, the priests walked toward the rushing waters of the Jordan. Bystanders probably held their breath as the priests teetered on slippery rocks at the water’s edge while balancing the holy and precious Ark of the Covenant on poles on their shoulders.

With those steps of obedience, a miracle unfolds before their eyes: “Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away…So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.” (Joshua 3:15, 16a, 17, NIV) Remember, how the Lord parted the waters of the Red Sea when the Israelites’ journey began in Exodus 14? Now, He does it again at the Jordan River as their desert wandering comes to an end.

Keep in mind that Joshua trusted God before the miracle. He followed the Lord’s instructions with the simple promise that He would do “amazing things.” Bible teacher Kristi McClelland explains, “[God] doesn’t promise to tell us everything that’s going on ahead of time. He doesn’t promise we’ll see a blueprint before we start building. The reward is often on the other side of obedience…Life doesn’t always afford us all the facts before we make a decision. But we can always decide to trust God’s character. We can always decide to believe in God’s goodness and steadfast love.”3

By the time this miracle occurs, Joshua had been walking with the Lord for many years. Each time he’d stepped out in trust, God had revealed His character and faithfulness. Joshua had experienced enough miracles to know God could do whatever He said He could do. So, Joshua listened when he was told to be strong and courageous. He walked in faith, believing God’s promise that He would be with him. He took action according to God’s plans and led others with courage and confidence, undeterred by seemingly impossible circumstances. And with each act of obedience, Joshua’s faith in the Lord grew stronger.

Although I’ve never led two million people across a rushing river, I’ve seen how God reveals Himself when I respond to His prompting. Instead of holding back and playing it safe, I’ve trusted the Lord to stretch me beyond my comfort zone—whether it was starting a Bible study for spiritually curious women, spending time with teens building homes in Mexico, or spontaneously praying over hurting people I encounter. He’s used these experiences to stretch me, refine me, deepen my faith, mature me, and reveal His character.

I’m learning that God is always at work and giving us opportunities to join Him. Where might the Lord be calling you to consecrate yourself, step out in faith, and wade into unknown waters? Consider praying and asking Him to show you what He wants you to know and do. Trust Him to walk alongside you and to give you the courage to do what seems uncomfortable, awkward, or downright scary. You’ll find life is fuller, richer, and more meaningful than you could ever imagine.

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1. Elizabeth Woodson, From Beginning to Forever: A Study of the Grand Narrative of Scripture, Lifeway Press, 2022.
2. Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan & Tyndale, 1991, 338.
3. Kristi McClelland, Jesus and Women in the First Century and Now, Lifeway Press, 2019, 43-44.

Stepping Out in Faith

Sometimes God asks us to move forward with a plan and only gives us minimal details. When we step out in faith and trust Him, we get a front row seat to witness His power. The Bible includes many stories of courageous people doing this, but one of my favorites is found in the book of Joshua.

For the past few months we’ve been following the narrative of the Israelites fleeing Egypt and beginning their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Today’s story fast forwards to when God’s people are on the brink of crossing into the promised land. Moses’ successor, Joshua, receives instructions from the Lord for leading all of the Israelites across the Jordan River at flood stage.  Here’s how Scripture explains God’s plan: 

“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’ Joshua said to the priests, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.’ So they took it up and went ahead of them. And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’” (Joshua 3:5-8, NIV)

Although they’re unsure what the Lord will do, the priests and the people follow His plan and watch a miracle unfold before their eyes:

“Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away…So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.” (Joshua 3:15, 16a, 17, NIV)

Imagine being the first two priests to step into the rushing waters of the Jordan balancing the holy and precious Ark of the Covenant on poles on their shoulders. Mud and slippery rocks at the water’s edge likely made it daunting, but they stepped into the swirling waters with obedience. Kristi McClelland explains, “[God] doesn’t promise to tell us everything that’s going on ahead of time. He doesn’t promise we’ll see a blueprint before we start building. The reward is often on the other side of obedience…Life doesn’t always afford us all the facts before we make a decision. But we can always decide to trust God’s character. We can always decide to believe in God’s goodness and steadfast love.”1

So, what does it look like in contemporary times to step into the waters of obedience and trust God in the mystery? For me, I think of a Bible verse that’s framed on my wall: “I will walk by faith, even when I cannot see.” (2 Cor 5:7). It was a gift from some women who have become dear friends since I stepped out in faith to start a Bible study ten years ago. It felt risky and uncomfortable joining with another friend and agreeing to lead this group. I wasn’t sure what we would study or how I would find answers to their questions, but I trusted God would give me what I would need. Ten years in, He hasn’t failed me.

Recently I sat listening to an acquaintance share about starting a similar group. After keeping her distance from faith-related activities for many years, she’s been inspired by the strength and grounding she sees in others who know the Lord. Now she feels like she’s missed out by holding back for so long. Craving meaningful connections with others, she reached out to invite women to a group that she feels ill-prepared to lead. At the same time, she’s been praying God will show her He’s real and has been astounded by the answers He’s giving her. My new friend is stepping out in faith, not knowing what the Lord will do, but trusting Him. The enthusiasm in her voice and the light in her eyes reveal evidence of God’s work in her life.

I could fill pages with stories like these—of people stepping out in faith to trust God and watching in awe as He worked in and through them. Kristi McClelland likens this to “eating a mystery.” She compares our choices to believe God and take action without fully understanding all the details with the Israelites’ choice to eat the strange new food the Lord provided in the desert. They called the bread that tasted like honey “manna” which translates to “What is it?” The metaphor of eating the mystery fits well with David’s invitation in Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” We can only taste the Lord’s goodness if we’re willing to put the mystery into our mouths.

Looking back at my life, I’ve never regretted times I’ve stepped out in faith instead of holding back and playing it safe. Opportunities to see God at work are His invitation to get us involved in what He’s doing. It’s our choice whether or not to respond.  

Where might the Lord be calling you to step out in faith, trust His goodness, and eat a mystery? Pray and ask Him to show you what He wants you to know and do. Trust Him to walk alongside you, to part the waters, to feed you the manna, and to give you the courage. You’ll find life is fuller, richer, and more meaningful than you could ever imagine. 

Be inspired listening to “Walk by Faith” by Jeremy Camp. As you watch this video, you’ll see clips from a movie based on an event in his life that made these words real to Him. Whether God is inviting you into something exciting and new or holding out His hand for you to trust Him during a hard season, walking by faith is the best choice you can make. Click here to watch.

1. Kristi McClelland, Jesus and Women in the First Century and Now, Lifeway Press, 2019, 43-44.

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Finding Your Twenty Seconds of Courage

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Throughout the story of Gideon we see moments of incredible bravery when Gideon had to step out in faith to trust God.  Gideon’s weakness became a conduit to reveal God’s incredible strength.  In each pivotal moment of Gideon’s story, he had to take the first step in deciding whether he would follow God’s plan or cower in his own weakness.  I like to think about those crucial twenty seconds of courage in each terrifying situation he faced:  tearing down his father’s altar to Ba’al, accepting military leadership despite his lack of experience, sending home 31,700 soldiers despite the 135,000 Midianites he was called to attack, and entering battle with only 300 men armed with nothing more than clay jars, torches and trumpets.

What we need to realize is that we have access to that same power Gideon had.  We have opportunities every day to entrust our weaknesses to God and to watch how He gives us strength to accomplish His purposes.

This whole idea of “Twenty Seconds of Courage” was inspired in me by watching the movie We Bought a Zoo.  Check out the clip here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmMFIganRQY

Matt Damon’s character says these inspiring words:  “Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage.  Just literally, twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery and I promise you, something great will come of it.” When we trust God to give us 20 seconds of courage to obey Him, it can transform our lives for good and impact others in powerful ways.

Gideon was not the only one who stepped out in faith relying on God’s strength in the midst of his weakness.  Let’s look at a few other people in the Bible who did this to see if we can discover how they found the courage to step out in faith when the odds were against them.

Joshua:

One of my favorite stories takes place in Joshua, Chapter 3.  Joshua has just become the new leader of the Children of Israel after Moses’ death.  Imagine how daunting it must have been to come after Moses, the man who spoke directly to God and led the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land.  That is probably why God tells Joshua three times in Joshua 1 “Be strong and courageous.”

His task in Joshua 3 is to lead roughly two million Jews across the Jordan River into the Promised Land.  The biggest problem is that this is during flood stage and the swollen river was probably several hundred yards across.  God instructs Joshua to have the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant into the river and to trust that He will hold back the waters.  Imagine the twenty seconds of courage it must’ve taken Joshua to tell the priests the plan!  Amazingly, the priests agree to the plan and God parts the waters to allow all of the people to walk on dry ground and pass safely into the Promised Land.

I’d guess that Joshua’s courage came from his past experiences with Yahweh.  He’d seen God part the Red Sea in Exodus 14, he’d seen him provide manna for the people throughout their forty years wandering in the desert (see Exodus 16 for the first occurrence), and he’d won a battle against the Amalekites against amazing odds.  This passage describing that battle is too good not to share:

“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.  Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.’”

God wanted to make sure Joshua remembered this amazing victory so that he would have courage to lead in the future.

The bottom line?  Joshua found his twenty seconds of courage through remembering God’s faithfulness in the past.

Jehoshaphat:

The story of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 might be one of my favorites of all time.  In earlier chapters, we learn that Jehoshaphat was a king who honored God by removing the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.  He also valued God’s word and sent officials throughout Judah to teach the Book of the Law to the people.

In chapter 20, Jehoshaphat learns that a vast army is marching to attack Judah.  I love his response in verses 3-4:

“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.”

Jehoshaphat’s impulse wasn’t to gather his military advisors, count his troops or inventory the weapons in Judah’s arsenal.  His impulse was to seek God.  He gathers his people together to pray and fast.  In his public prayer before all the people, he doesn’t’ start by pleading with God to save Judah, instead, he praises God’s power. Next, he proclaims God’s past deeds.  He finally gets around to presenting God with his problem and then shows ultimate humility by admitting his position of powerlessness.  In verse 12 he says:

“We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

The next day God sends Jehoshaphat to meet his enemies.  The prophet who shares God’s plan reassures Jehoshaphat by saying in 20:17:

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

In 20:21 Jeshoshaphat follows God plan and marches out to battle after appointing men to go out at the head of the army singing: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”

Much like the story of Gideon, God causes the enemies to turn on one another and by the time Jehoshaphat and his army arrive the enemies have all destroyed one another.  All that is left for Jehoshaphat and his men to do is collect the plunder.

The bottom line?  Jehoshaphat found his twenty seconds of courage through praising God.

Peter:

The story of Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14:22-33 is one of my favorites from the New Testament.  I love the fact that he was the only disciple with enough courage to ask Jesus to enable him to walk on water when he saw Jesus walking on the waves towards the boat.  Even though Peter does falter for a moment when he lets the wind and the waves take his eyes off Jesus, he remembers where to turn for help in verse 30:

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’”

Much like Jehoshaphat, he knew that in his powerlessness, God was the only one who could save him.  Just how did Peter become so trusting of Jesus that he was willing to step out of the boat into the storm tossed waters?  I turned to the beginning of the book of Matthew to see what events took place prior to this one.  It’s quite an impressive list.  Here are a few of the things that happened earlier in the story:

-He saw Jesus heal the sick (Matt 4)

-He heard Jesus preach the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7)

-He saw Jesus calm a storm  (Matt 8)

-He saw Jesus heal two demon-possessed men  (Matt 8)

-He saw Jesus heal a paralytic (Matt 9)

-He saw Jesus raise a girl from death (Matt 9)

-He was sent out to preach, heal, raise dead, cleans lepers and drive out demons (Matt 10)

-He saw Jesus feed a crowd 5000 people using 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish (Matt 14)

Peter had already witnessed Jesus doing amazing things.  He had developed a relationship of love and trust and knew that through Jesus he could do seemingly impossible things.  The bottom line?  Peter’s twenty seconds of courage came through trusting Jesus.

There are several common threads that we can see between the characters in all three stories.

1.  All three knew and valued God’s Word

2.  All three shared God’s truth with others

3.  All three knew God was capable of doing more than they could do on their own

4.  All three knew their own weaknesses

5.  All three impacted others using God’s strength

6.  All three had personal and intimate relationships with God

7.  All three led courageously in seemingly impossible situations

Here is the best part:  None of the things on this list are specific to a particular person, culture or time period.  All of them can be true of us today as much as they were for Joshua, Jehoshaphat and Peter.

As we wrap up our study of Gideon, what will be different in your life going forward?  What areas do you need to work on so that you’ll be ready when God calls you to step out to give Him 20 seconds of courage?

Our moments of courage can be large or small, but each one matters to God.   Do you sense God nudging you in some way that may seem frightening?

-Maybe He’s calling you to pick up the phone and mend a broken relationship

-Maybe He’s prompting you to speak an encouraging word to someone who is outside of your comfort zone

-Maybe He’s calling you to invite a friend or neighbor to church or Bible study

-Maybe He’s nudging you to open your home to someone in need

-Maybe He’s telling you to say “no” to a few commitments that will enable you to spend more time with Him or studying His word

-Maybe He’s prompting you to spend more time pouring into others or less time with people who are dragging you down

-Maybe He’s calling you to go on that Missions trip you’ve been talking about for years

-Maybe He’s inviting you to trust Him with your finances and tithe or give sacrificially

-Maybe He’s nudging you to make that appointment with a Christian counselor that you’ve been putting off

-Maybe He’s telling you to use that Spiritual Gift you know you have but have been afraid to use

The list could go on.  The point is, any act of bravery requires that first twenty seconds of courage to get started.  Are you up for it?  When you look back at the story of your life, what things do you see God has given you to draw on for courage?  Are you ready to give Him your weakness and watch Him turn it into His strength?  Post a comment and let us know!