Walking into Promise

Walking into Promise

Words of Faith 8-21-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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Joshua 3

    [14] So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the Ark of the covenant went ahead of them. [15] 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, [16] the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. [17] The priests who carried the Ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. 

      Of the big days in Israel’s history, this one is right up there.  Top three, for sure.  2 million people packed up their tents and possessions and moved near the water.  The priests were lined at the edge with the Ark.  What a powerful moment! 

       When Moses parted the Red Sea, he stepped up alone to the water and raised his staff.  But now it was the priests who stepped forward in faith.  As their feet touched the water, the miracle took place and the water began to pile up to the north.  What a glorious procession as the people moved once again across dry ground that should have been wet.

      The crossing of the Red Sea out of Egypt was pivotal because it marked the departure from slavery and the beginning of the wilderness journey.  The crossing of the Jordan River into Canaan marked departure from the wilderness and entrance into God's promise.

       By this great miracle, Joshua was exalted as a leader, Israel was encouraged, and the Canaanites were terrified.  Crossing the Jordan meant the Israelites were irrevocably committed to a struggle against armies with chariots and fortress cities.  More importantly, they were also committed to walk by faith in the living God and to turn from walking according to the flesh as they had often done in the wilderness.

      For believers today, crossing the Jordan is a powerful image of passing from one level of the Christian life to another. It is not a picture of a believer dying and entering heaven.  For the Israelites, Canaan was hardly heaven! It is a picture of entering into a place of spiritual warfare to claim what God has promised. For us, crossing the Jordan means the end of a life lived by human effort and the beginning of a life of faith and obedience.  It is a life of walking and living in the power and promise of the Lord. 

       Crossing the Jordan might be seen as a growth in our walk with the Lord from understanding Jesus primarily as Savior to walking with Him as Lord.  Of course, the two are inextricably tied, but our growth often sees us experiencing the first and then the second.  Crossing the Jordan might be for us a time of complete surrender to the Spirit and an abandoning of the flesh.  

       This is a crossing over into the promises of God.  There will be battles ahead.  There will be a rich blessing as well as rigorous difficulty.  On the other side of the Jordan, God's promise and power are always close by and around us.  Apparently, walking in the promise of God is not a “walk in the park,” but what a rich and wonderful place it is to walk in the promise, see God at work, and enjoy His favor.

      Are you ready to walk into the promise? 

       Lord God, I am following You.  You have led me out of slavery.  You have walked with me in the wilderness.  Lead me into your promise.  In Jesus’ name.