Still thinking about Joshua 3
If we want to discern God’s
direction for our lives we need to learn to recognize God’s presence with us at
all times. This was something that
really helped the Hebrews as they prepared to cross the Jordan. The ark of the covenant was the symbol of
God’s immediate presence among the Israelites.
The priests were to carry the ark before the people to lead them across
the river. God commanded the people,
“When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests,
who are Levites carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow
it. Then you will know which way to go,
since you have never been this way before.
But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark;
do not go near it” (Joshua 3:3, 4). The
ark was the reminder to the people that God was with them and was leading
them. Some scholars point out that one
of the reasons the ark was to be so far out ahead of the people was so they
could all see the ark and could be
certain of God’s presence. As long as
the people were sure that God was with them they could go anywhere! How would the people know where God wanted them
to go? If they just stayed behind the
ark they would know where to go! They
had never been that way before but if God was with them then they could go by
faith!
And so it is true for us as
well. When we are standing on the brink
of stepping into an unknown situation, a place we have never gone before, we
need to keep in the front of our minds the fact that God is with us. Isn’t it strange how it is in such times of
stress we actually feel abandoned by
God? That is a lie the devil puts into
our minds to confuse us. It is just the
opposite! God is the one who planned our
route and he is the one who has brought us to this point in our lives. How could we think he would abandon us and
leave us standing alone without guidance when we need it most? What was it Jesus said to his disciples just
before ascending into heaven? “And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). I need to ask myself, “Do I really believe
this?” If this is true then I don’t need
to worry about discovering God’s will for my life. He is right here with me holding my hand and
leading me in the direction he wants me to go.
I will see the way clearly when he shows it to me.
When I was a boy our family took a
lot of camping vacations and we visited some of the most beautiful and awesome
places in the country. My dad used to
take us on hikes all over the place. We
would climb to the top of waterfalls and to the top of great rocks on narrow
trails. When I look at those places
today it amazes me that we took those hikes.
(My mom must have been a nervous wreck!)
But the fact was this: as long as my dad was with me I would go anywhere
without fear or even a second thought. I
was confident that he knew the way and could help me get there. If we can have such confidence in an earthly
father, why would we hesitate to trust our Heavenly Father? That’s why the psalmist was able to write, “Even
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). If we
keep God’s presence in the front of our minds we will be able to trust him to
lead us.
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