Stepping out
It was harvest time, and the river was in flood. When the people left the camp to cross the Jordan, the priests went ahead of them, carrying the Covenant Box. As soon as the priests stepped into the river, the water stopped flowing and piled up, far upstream at Adam, the city beside Zarethan. The flow downstream to the Dead Sea was completely cut off, and the people were able to cross over near Jericho. While the people walked across on dry ground, the priests carrying the Lord 's Covenant Box stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until all the people had crossed over. Joshua 3 : 14 - 17 (GNB) |
Today's passage is all about stepping out and not only hoping, but trusting and expecting God to do the unexpected. Trust in God is not some academic exercise. It is not something that comes purely from passively reading and becoming a well-informed person. In fact you could know the Bible cover to cover off by heart. You would know about God, however knowing about him and trusting him are two very different things.
Trust is something that can only be demonstrated through doing. For example you may say that you trust a parachute to allow you to make a safe landing. However this trust is meaningless until you chuck yourself out of the back of an aeroplane. Trust only has a value when it is acted upon.
The priests had to put an action behind their trust in God. They stepped out into a raging river, knowing that God would not let them be swept away. God used their trust to benefit not only these brave priests, but an entire nation.
What would you have done in their shoes? Would you have risked getting wet? Risked getting washed away? Risked the lives of your friends, and colleagues? Risked losing face in-front of the nation?
How are you going to put your trust into action this week? What are you going to do that is a little risky? What steps are you going to take to make sure that your faith is based on doing rather than thinking? Whatever it might be ask God to give you the bravery and ability to step out and do it well!
We need to live risky and live trusting God. When we do this great things will happen in our lives, and in the lives of those around us. Have a great week.
This week's song is King of my soul by Matt Redman. |
Header image by: Horia Varlan via Flickr