Life is a series of leaving and entering. We leave one room and enter another. We leave the life of singleness to married life. We leave one job to the next. We can leave the room of poverty and enter the room of prosperity. We can leave high school and enter college. We can leave the room of sickness and disease and enter the room of health.
How we enter depends on how we leave.
Leaving in good standing and in an honorable way paves the way for future blessings. For the people of God, he always meant for them to leave Eygpt and enter the promised land. Yet unbelief left them to wander in the wilderness of forty years. They complained and murmured. At times they wished they were back in Egypt. The promise of God was not mixed with faith and they suffered for it. Many did not enter (Heb 4:1-2). It is hard to enter something new if we are complaining and murmuring or holding on to the past. It is hard to enter in if we are offended, bitter or unforgiving. It only spells trouble when we get our eyes of the Word of God and focus on the offenses, challenges, the people that may have hurt us or dissapointed us. The good news is that God didn’t stop loving them. He still had a destiny for them. He loves you and has a future and hope for you as well. After the death of Moses, A new generation of God’s people rallied around their new leader Joshua who was to take them into their promised land. Their first obstacle was crossing the Jordan River.
- Joshua 1:2-3 (NKJV)-2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them–the children of Israel.3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
- Joshua 1:11 (NKJV)-11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’ “
God declares the end from the beginning. They had the land and all they had to do was walk on it. Yes, there were fortified cities, strongholds, and the land filled with enemies. Nonetheless, God said he had given them the land. There are over thirty-five hundred promises in the Bible and all we have to do is walk in them mixing them with faith ( Heb 4:1-2). If we are going to walk through the Bible let us stay long and allow our roots to go deep. God has given all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus. He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Of course, we understand that we have an enemy, that there is resistance, a kingdom of darkness that pushes against us. But we push back with the promises of God (James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8-9). We believe and therefore speak (2 Cor 4:13). Abraham dwelt by faith in the land of promise. (Heb 11:9). John 15:7 (NKJV)-7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. We are to be like Abraham. The just shall live by faith!
Joshua 3:3-6 (NKJV)-3 and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” 6 Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
If we are going to cross our Jordan it is very important to focus on the right thing. God’s people were to focus on the Ark of the covenant—the presence of God. They were told to go after it. What was in the Ark? A gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.” An Ark of God’s commands and promises fulfilled. Showing God’s faithfulness and His heart for them. Today as believers we are to follow Christ. We are to go after Him. Hosea 6:3 (NKJV)-3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. Joshua tells them to sanctify themselves. This was a new journey for them. They hadn’t been this way before. Change and trying something new isn’t easy. You have to have the proper attitude. They needed to consecrate, to prepare their hearts to move forward. To let go of the past, to let go of any unbelief. To not hesitate or drawback. The Bible tells us in the New Testament to look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:1-2). To lay aside any weight and unbelief that would hold us back. Jesus is the living word and we ought to keep our noses in it. To look to Jesus is to look to the Word.
They successfully crossed the Jordan River just like the previous generation crossed the Red Sea. God performed a miracle, parting the waters. He kept His promises. Joshua declares in verse ten what God will do: Joshua 3:10 (KJV)-10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
For us today God the Word of God is our weapon against all the “ites” in our lives.
We already have the victory in Christ. The enemy has been driven off and defeated. All we have to do is keep walking in faith (2 Cor 5:7 ). Faith is walking in the knowledge of God’s Word and believing it no matter what. It means to be fully persuaded ( Rom 4:20-21).
Even leaders get frustrated. Did you know that? Like leaders, we can get into the realm of our emotions and feelings when things aren’t going according to plan. We can be dissappoited with people and situations. In frustration we ask God why is this happening. Why am I going through this? I just don’t understand it. Have you ever felt that way? Joshua did. Look at Joshua 7:6-7 (KJV)-6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! The previous generation said the same thing about returning to Egypt when facing impossibilities. When they faced times where they felt God wasnt providing for their needs.
If we are going to cross our Jordans we need to understand God is not moved by our feelings and emotions. They move us.
God understands us and is acquainted with our total person. He doesn’t mind us getting the air out of our tires when we don’t understand things. We must realize that faith comes before understanding. We have to stop trying to figure it all out. Satan will try to get us to stay in the mental realm of feelings and emotions. They will always steer us in the wrong direction, away from the Word of God. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)-5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. God’s people had a great victory at Jericho in Joshua chapter six. He gave them specific instructions to have victory and regarding the spoils from the victory. They were not to take anything with them. There is always one bad apple that doesn’t listen. His name was Achan. God’s people lost the next battle with Amorites due to Achan’s disobedience. Joshua didn’t know at the time why the battle was lost until God revealed it to him. We see this in Joshua 7:11-12 (NKJV)-11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. We see that Achan confessed and he and his whole family perished becuse of his sin at the hand of the Lord. Sin can keep you entagled from moving forward. Thank God we are under the New Covenant. Mercy rejoices over judgment because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. We are not under God’s wrath or judgment. The blood of Christ has been shed. There is forgiveness and mercy (1 john 1:9, 1 John 2:1-2).
After Joshua’s prayer and humiliation, I love what God said to him. Joshua 7:10 (NKJV)
10 So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? If we are going to cross our next Jordans we need to get moving. There comes a time when we need to stop praying and move on in faith. One way is by thanking and praising God that it is already done. That He has already answered. Isaiah 55:10-11 (KJV)-10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God is still doing miracles. He is watching over His Word to perform it. In crossing our Jordan we must hold fast a good confession. Faith agrees with God. Faith says what God says. Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV)-23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. We may not understand why things happen at times but let us remember God is faithful and at times He can reveal to us secret or hidden things (Deut 29:29, Psalm 25:14, Phil3:15 ). God told Joshua if he wanted to prosper and have good success that he needed to seach the internet and find out all that he could about all the “ites”. No ! God told him to meditate in the Word day and night (Joshua 1:8). Should we do anyless? Let me close with these scripture:Psalm 119:25-28 (NKJV)-25 My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.26 I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes.27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wondrous works.28 My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word. Oh, that we would let the Word of God dwell in us richly. For therein lies all our answers!
It’s time to cross your Jordan.
In Christ’s Love‘s
Brent and Linda Bushen
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