No Matter how high the waves..Jesus can take you through!

Monday motivation
Topics: New beginnings, Memorial

Joshua 3, Psa 114:3

When leaving an old place, going into a new place we often encounter obstacles. Some are large some are small. Those obstacles are placed there for a memorial. Obstacles give us an opportunity to see God’s majesty. Obstacles give us an opportunity to increase our faith. A physical obstacle course is used for training soldiers, testing their speed and endurance. A spiritual obstacle is used to test our spiritual endurance and our faith.
Obstacles are opportunities for God to show his Majesty. If we approach obstacles with faith and not fear our only obligation is to show up and the Lord will guide us through. If we approach our obstacles with fear we will often circumvent God’s blessing. When fear grips us, we don’t follow through, we give up, we procrastinate, and we unfortunately stop progressing . God cannot advance us to the next level if we are going in the wrong direction or not moving at all. Jesus cannot advance us if we have decided to stand still. When Joshua was leading the nation out of the wilderness into the Promised Land he faced some obstacles. One obstacle was the Jordan River. When we walk with God we should never see obstacles. We should get excited because it's another opportunity to see Jesus in his glory. The Lord took them through the Jordan River during a season when the waters were overflowing, the waters were crashing with accelerated speeds and no one had a surf board to ride the waves. There wasn’t a cruise ship to protect them and get them to the other side (Jos 3:13-17).
Since there weren’t any surf boards or cruise ships they relied on the Lord. God's Ark of the Covenant went before the people, carried by the priests. Once the priest soles touched the water the river parted creating a wall on dry land giving a safe passage for an entire nation. Joshua didn’t try to become Noah and build an ark to carry the people over. He didn’t try to work out a back-up plan in case God didn’t deliver. God instructed him to be strong and very courageous and he obeyed and waited for further instruction. If God said it is time to move, go and wait for instruction. It may be rough waters but go and wait on the Lord.

Can you imagine 27 rapids and cascades crashing 1000 feet, swelling on every side? Making thunderous sounds as the waves crashed against each other. Then suddenly like a faucet the Lord shuts the water off. The water didn’t disappear. The water just stopped flowing, it stopped crashing. It says the waters from above that was a waterfall rose up and stood back (Jos 3:16). How great is our God!

 

We may have something in our lives that seems impossible to pass, that has 70ft waves, but when we place it at the Master’s feet it will step back. Jesus will take us through, on dry ground. The Lord made a point to let us know they passed through the river on dry ground. Normal potting soil takes about a week to dry once it has been flushed, an entire riverbed dried instantly under the authority of God's presence. He let us know when he takes us through we won't slip and slide in mud. We won't sink in quick sand. We will stand firm and walk on dry ground. How many of us are facing raging waters or an obstacle that in our minds require a ship to pass? If we obey and believe, he will part the water and allow us to pass on dry ground.  We can’t get to the other side if we don’t want to face our Jordan. We can’t get to the other side if we have turned back to the wilderness. We have to show up so God can show out!

Some of us keep waiting for God to show up with a boat or a cruise ship to take us over the Jordan and he wants to take us through the Jordan. He wants us to conquer our Jordan.

Sometimes we think God isn’t moving they way he did back in Joshua days. We think he isn’t parting waters anymore. We think if God would do that again we would believe him. He isn’t showing up like that anymore because we are not in the physical wilderness anymore. We are in spiritual wildernesses and we need him to part our spiritual Jordan’s. He gives us what we need when we need it.

The Jordan River was an obstacle they had to get through to get them closer to receiving the Promised Land. They still had to acquire the land. The Lord will place obstacles in our path to increase our faith and create a memorial for us to remember his majesty. It gives us a reference point when we face new challenges helping us to remember what God can do and how he can work it out. After the nation passed the Lord instructed Joshua to create a memorial with 12 stones so all who passed by would remember what the Lord did forever (Jos 4:7).

When the Lord takes you through and your enemies rise up and to step back create a memorial. When your troubles to dry up and they are under your feet, create a memorial. When your problems separate and are no longer blocking your path; create a memorial.

God Bless you and yours!

Pray

My Father, Holy Redeemer, The Great I Am. Forgive me for failing to remember your splendor. Forgive me for forgetting all the times you brought me through and protected me. Help me to commemorate the things you have done for me. Help me to memorialize your greatness. Give me the strength to face the Joradans in my life. Help me to make it to the other side. In Jesus name and for your glory. Amen

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