Today's Reading: Joshua 2 & 3

 

Crossing Our Jordan

The LORD now appears in such a way, and works in such a manner, as to leave no doubt concerning His presence, or His power, or of His love to Israel.  Even as God parted the Red Sea for the previous generation, He now stops the Jordan River in flood season so His chosen people can...

cross over to the Promised Land. 

This section of Scripture is ripe with application to our spiritual lives. We began our life’s journey in spiritual “Egypt” – representing the pre-Christ life of sin and bondage.  In Egypt, our hearts cried out for deliverance from the emptiness and futility of life.  We wallowed in the anguish of an un-regenerated heart.  But then the day came when we crossed the “sea” into a new life in Christ.  On that day, the Lord orchestrated the circumstances of our life in such a way that we called upon Him in faith and were quickened by the Holy Spirit. We were born again!  We emerged from Egypt into a new life in Christ. 

When we started our journey with Christ, most of us had no idea how long it would take or the troubles we would face in our “wilderness.”  After all, we were promised a life of victory, joy, peace, and safety.  We looked forward to that deep fellowship with our Creator in the Promised Land of life in the Spirit.  But something went wrong.  We soon discovered that our fallen human nature had come along for the ride.  We entered a spiritual wilderness experience complete with rebellion, complaining, and unbelief.  Our faith was tested.  Our pride broken. We struggled with intensified temptation and spiritual attacks.  At times, we lost sight of our destination and chose to wallow in the pain.  God, of course, never left us.  He remained by our side as trials and struggles tested us.

But then the day comes when our unbelief gives way to a new faith. By faith, we take God at His word and emerge from the wilderness into the life of promise. Crossing the Jordan represents coming into a new relationship with God by faith.  As followers of Christ, we have been promised a life of victory, peace, and spiritual fulfillment.  The only way to enter into that life is by faith.  The Israelites entered the Promised Land for one reason – by faith they expected God to do a miracle.  In fact, the leading priests stepped into the flowing waters of the Jordan BEFORE God blew even back the water and opened up a pathway on dry ground. You too, will only cross over into the promised life of joy, peace, victory and spiritual fulfillment when you stop relying on your self and you, by faith, expect God to do a miracle in your life.  He will appear in such a way, and work in such a manner, as to leave no doubt concerning His presence, or His power, or of His love to you!