Key Verses Joshua 3:6-8, 11, 13
MOVE when God moves
3 “Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the Ark of the Covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them. 7 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river’.”
11 See, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you.
13 And as soon as the priests who carry the Ark of the LORD –The Lord of all the earth–set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
The Ark of the Covenant went first, symbolizing God’s presence. The Lord spoke to Joshua directly. He told Joshua that He was going to use him so that the people would know that He was with him just as He had been with Moses! He knew that this tidbit of information was pretty important because it would give the people courage and help them trust that they could boldly step into the Jordan River. Why? Because the Lord is WITH THEM! Not only is the Lord with them, but verse 11 declares that the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of the whole earth will go into that river ahead of them! God goes before US, too! He prepares the way for us. When we choose to walk in the direction He is leading us, we can know that we are not alone. He is with us AND He goes before us! In verse 13, we see this amazing miracle that is meant to remind us of God’s Holy and powerful presence. Verse 13 says that as soon as the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord set their feet in the Jordan River, its waters miraculously, instantly stopped flowing. Not only did they stop flowing, but they stood up “in a heap”! Can you imagine? The waters stood up and created a giant wall of water! That’s pretty cool! The people could then safely cross! Sound familiar (Exodus 14)?
When God leads, our role is to follow – not to rush ahead!
Questions:
Where might God be asking you to pause and allow Him to lead?
Are you following God’s timing or your own?
