We tend to think of the priests stepping into the Jordan River like going to the beach and tiptoeing your way down to the water’s edge, inching closer and closer, maintaining balance the whole time.
In reality, while the Jordan River isn’t very wide or very deep, there isn’t really a good place to get down close to the water without just jumping in.
And that was sort of the point. When God told the priests to step into the river, He made it clear that the water wasn’t going to stop flowing until they went all in.
There are times in life when we know clearly what God’s will is. It may not happen all the time, it may not even be a frequent occurrence. But there are times when there’s little mystery about what God would have us do. Yet even in those times, there are frequently obstacles in our path, difficulties that must be overcome, in order for us to accomplish what we know to be the clearly communicated will of God.
How do you respond in those times? Too many of us respond by saying, “Okay, God. I know what You want me to do, but there’s this obstacle here. You remove the obstacle, and I’ll do what You’re calling me to do.”
Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?
More often than not, however, just like in the Bible, God says, “You take a step first.”
In other words, God will take care of a lot of the obstacles in our paths, but He usually waits for us to take a step of faith before He does. This is part of the astonishing humility of God. Sometimes He actually lets us lead.
One step and the obstacles vanish, more completely and more brilliantly than you ever imagined. But there is that matter of the first step. There is that matter of whether or not you are willing to go all-in, not easing your way into things, but jumping headlong into the thick of difficulties in order to get what God has promised.
The people of God, gathered at the edge of the Jordan River, needed a leader. They desperately needed someone who would step forward and say, “Let’s go.” There were plenty of people in the crowd willing to move, but did anyone want to be first? They needed a push, a prod, a person willing to show them how it was done.
God’s people still need leaders, people willing to step up and step out and show us how it’s done. What are you doing standing around on the bank? Jump in and see what God does!
Lord, I thank You that You have created me in Your image and have given me the dignity of being capable of moral choices that genuinely affect my journey and destiny. By Your grace, may I exercise this moral and spiritual capacity by taking the steps of faith, especially in times when my flesh resists this process and when fears prevent me from trusting You. I realise that there are times in my life when You ask me to make the first step, because You don’t want to force me into obedience but desire my willing cooperation with Your glorious intentions. I recognise that without You I cannot, but without me You will not. May I strengthen my resolve to be Your loving servant and child so that I will pursue the course You have set before me in spite of my fears and natural resistance.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
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