“Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there,’” (Joshua 3:8, NLT).

 

[Read Joshua 3:1-17 for the full story.]

 

     Forty years before the Jordan crossing, another act of faith took place. Following Israel’s release from captivity in Egypt, God brought the Jewish people to the edge of the Red Sea. God parted the waters of the great sea BEFORE the people passed through on dry land, trusting that God would not allow them to drown.

     Four decades later, Israel was challenged to pass through the waters of another body that threatened their lives. As the people approached the Jordan River, the waters reached flood stage. Today, the Jordan can reach a depth of twenty feet when the river is flooded. If one were to step into the water, he would be swept downstream to a certain death. During this particular crossing, Joshua reports that the people would have to step into the raging river and only AFTERWARDS would God make a way for Israel to pass through.

 

     From my perspective, it takes a whole lot more faith to step into a flood, trusting that God would part the waters than to watch God part the waters and then pass over on dry land. The point is that God was testing the faith of Israel for the purpose of increasing their trust in Him. I once heard a pastor say that when you reach new levels of faith you will also encounter new devilish challenges—new levels, new devils.

 

     The reality for all of us who follow Christ is that the journey does not get easier. As we mature, we encounter new challenges that test our faith. The idea does not appeal to our culture, which prizes comfort and pleasure above all else. Yet, God is not interested in appeasing our desire for comfort. God is intent on helping us grow into the likeness of Jesus. Jesus ingrained this thought into his disciples by saying, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must give up himself and his own desires. He must take up his cross and follow Me” (Mark 8:34, NLT).

 

Prayer

Dear Lord, as I move through this day, grant me a new level of faith to pass through the challenges I encounter. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life, give me the grace needed to be more than a conqueror through Christ. In the blessed name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.