The guest speaker spoke on the wisdom of trusting God and “stepping into the river”. He talked about a pastor who trusted God and chose to speak the truths of the Bible in a sermon despite the new restrictive laws of his land. He was convicted of hate crimes and spent thirty days in jail. But his case was appealed, and the court ruled he had the right to give a personal interpretation of the Bible and to urge others to follow Jesus.
The priests carrying the ark of the covenant had to make a choice too—either step into the water or stay on the shore. After escaping Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. Now they stood on the banks of the Jordan River, which was at flood stage and dangerously high. But they took that step, and God caused the waters to recede: “As soon as . . . their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing” (Joshua 3:15-16).
When we trust God with our lives, He gives us the courage to move forward, whether by choosing to speak the truths of the Bible or by taking a step into unknown territory. During that pastor’s trial, the court heard the gospel through listening to his sermon. And, in Joshua, the Israelites crossed safely into the promised land and shared about the power of God with future generations (v. 17; 4:24).
If we step out in faith, God will see to the rest.
By Alyson Kieda
REFLECT & PRAY
When have you faced a frightening situation and were afraid to take the first step? How did God help you to move forward?
Dear God, I need Your courage. Please help me to step out in faith.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Crossing the Red Sea was the definitive miracle reminding the Israelites of God’s power: “When the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord . . . [they] feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant” (Exodus 14:31). To encourage them to trust Him and their new leader, Joshua, God parted the Jordan River (Joshua 3:7-17): Joshua explained, “The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea . . . so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful” (4:23-24).
K. T. Sim
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