Boats, Bridges or Beyond
By Elin Henderson
“Then Joshua rose early in the morning…and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel …and all Israel crossed over on dry ground.”
Joshua 3:1a & 17b (NKJV)
By Elin Henderson
“Then Joshua rose early in the morning…and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel …and all Israel crossed over on dry ground.”
Joshua 3:1a & 17b (NKJV)
How do you think the Israelites felt standing on the edge of the Jordan River, the Promised Land in clear view: relieved, afraid, and expectant? We don’t know, but we do know they were getting ready for quite an adventure of faith. Humanly speaking, what would you do if you came up to a river? Well, logically you would start thinking about ways to get across – bridges, boats, rafts, ropes, something to get everyone safely from one side to another. We think boats and bridges, but God wants us to move beyond that.
God wants us to get beyond the logical, human and easy way of doing things to His wonderful ways – “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5). He did this for several reasons. One, it showed clearly His hand was upon Joshua, the new leader of Israel (vs.7). Also, it was a test of faith for both Joshua and the nation of Israel (vs.10). But, even beyond that, the nearby cities would have had to sit up and take notice if one day the river they depended on just stopped flowing (vs.16). This was not something that they could explain; it was a “wonder” beyond their beliefs. For some of them, it was the first of many opportunities to see the wonders of the LORD God of Israel.
When we come to the Jordan Rivers of our lives, do we start building boats and bridges and asking the Lord to bless them and get us across, or do we choose to go beyond human thinking and trust God to work wonders among us, not only to grow our faith but also to speak to the cities around us?
GOING DEEPER:
1. What kind of boats and bridges have you conjured up to help God get you across the rivers of life? How has He been trying to move you beyond your human thinking?
2. How has the Lord been using your Jordan experiences to influence the lives of those around you?
FURTHER READING:
Exodus 3:20, 15:11; I Peter 1:7
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to ten-year-old Callie and eight-year-old Elias.
God wants us to get beyond the logical, human and easy way of doing things to His wonderful ways – “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5). He did this for several reasons. One, it showed clearly His hand was upon Joshua, the new leader of Israel (vs.7). Also, it was a test of faith for both Joshua and the nation of Israel (vs.10). But, even beyond that, the nearby cities would have had to sit up and take notice if one day the river they depended on just stopped flowing (vs.16). This was not something that they could explain; it was a “wonder” beyond their beliefs. For some of them, it was the first of many opportunities to see the wonders of the LORD God of Israel.
When we come to the Jordan Rivers of our lives, do we start building boats and bridges and asking the Lord to bless them and get us across, or do we choose to go beyond human thinking and trust God to work wonders among us, not only to grow our faith but also to speak to the cities around us?
GOING DEEPER:
1. What kind of boats and bridges have you conjured up to help God get you across the rivers of life? How has He been trying to move you beyond your human thinking?
2. How has the Lord been using your Jordan experiences to influence the lives of those around you?
FURTHER READING:
Exodus 3:20, 15:11; I Peter 1:7
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to ten-year-old Callie and eight-year-old Elias.
