After the priests had picked up the ark of the covenant, Joshua gave them the following instructions:
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 3:7-8).
This is reminiscent of another time in the people's history when they were standing at the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army behind them after they had left Egypt. They seemed to be trapped but then the Lord parted the Sea and they passed through on dry land. Here they were again, however, facing a similar dilemma in that a body of water was between them and God's promise. And of course, here again the Lord provided a way forward through impossible circumstances. The Apostle Paul said, "[He was} strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God'" (Acts 14:22). That seems to be a strange encouragement, telling people that were going to encounter lots of hardships, but it's the truth.
God didn't perform the same miracle in this instance at the Jordan River as He did when they crossed the Red Sea. And this is just how it was in Jesus' ministry. He seldom healed the same way twice, otherwise the people would have put their faith in the procedure and not in Him. They would have seen something of a magic formula that they could then use to cause God to do their bidding. Jesus did this so their faith would not be in the procedure or the words said or the acts performed. Their faith would have to be in God.
How about you? Have you put your faith in a process and not in God? Have you assumed that if you gave generously, God would have to give to you in return? Have you prayed the same prayer you prayed before but this time, God didn't seem to hear? The polnt of this study is that God wants you to stay focused on Him to obey His directions as you encounter the many trials common to all believers. Don't look to the past for anything else except to remember that God has been faithful to you and He will bring about your deliverance in a way that seems best to Him.
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