The river overflowed its banks, the water rushing wildly downstream as if in a hurry to escape some unseen fate. It carried with it the broken limbs and branches from woody plants upstream that had dared to stand in its way. The trees that, at other times of the year, lined the edges of the of the river making a graceful canopy over a serene and gently flowing cascade of water, now stood in the midst of this tempestuous scene with branches barely visible above the rapids that threatened to uproot them.
Anyone could see that now was not the time to attempt a crossing. It was deadly, espeically with all the women and children. They weren't in such a hurry that they couldn't wait a few weeks or even months until the water receded and flowed within its banks once again.
Yet that wasn't the plan. They'd been told to pack up and be ready to cross. So they did. Each family stood waiting, and when the Ark of Lord passed in front of them, they fell into step behind it. God had kept them these forty years in the wilderness, they had to believe He would lead them successfully on this final stretch of the journey into their Promised Land.
They could see the river loom larger, wider, and more dangerous as they got closer to it. Moses was gone. How was God going to pull this one off? The priests carrying the Ark kept walking. Their steps didn't falter or slow down. It almost seemed as if they didn't see the flooding river.
Then the soles of their feet touched the surface of the water, and all of Israel gasped as one. The waters flowing from upstream immediately dried up. All that could be seen was a dry riverbed - not a muddy riverbed, no, a dry riverbed; and all of Israel marched across the dry riverbed of the Jordan during flood season.
So many times we can be just across the river from our promised land, but we see the river and see only that it's impossible to cross. We stay camped there waiting for the waters to recede, or worse, we turn around and give up hope of ever reaching our promised land. If only we believed God. If only we would step into the water knowing that the God who brought us this far would get us across the river.
No, we'd never make it to the other side on our own. But God . . .
Anyone could see that now was not the time to attempt a crossing. It was deadly, espeically with all the women and children. They weren't in such a hurry that they couldn't wait a few weeks or even months until the water receded and flowed within its banks once again.
Yet that wasn't the plan. They'd been told to pack up and be ready to cross. So they did. Each family stood waiting, and when the Ark of Lord passed in front of them, they fell into step behind it. God had kept them these forty years in the wilderness, they had to believe He would lead them successfully on this final stretch of the journey into their Promised Land.
They could see the river loom larger, wider, and more dangerous as they got closer to it. Moses was gone. How was God going to pull this one off? The priests carrying the Ark kept walking. Their steps didn't falter or slow down. It almost seemed as if they didn't see the flooding river.
Then the soles of their feet touched the surface of the water, and all of Israel gasped as one. The waters flowing from upstream immediately dried up. All that could be seen was a dry riverbed - not a muddy riverbed, no, a dry riverbed; and all of Israel marched across the dry riverbed of the Jordan during flood season.
So many times we can be just across the river from our promised land, but we see the river and see only that it's impossible to cross. We stay camped there waiting for the waters to recede, or worse, we turn around and give up hope of ever reaching our promised land. If only we believed God. If only we would step into the water knowing that the God who brought us this far would get us across the river.
No, we'd never make it to the other side on our own. But God . . .
Thanks for the encouragement, Sissie. I keep wondering what I am doing starting a nursing career at "my age". When I feel discouraged, I think about how it has been so much our sweet Lord who has brought me to this place and it will be He who shows me the way, one step at a time. I find such comfort in knowing that!
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