Introduction

Have you ever stood at the edge of something new—heart thumping, hands trembling—wondering how you’ll make it across? Maybe it’s a decision you can’t delay, a diagnosis you didn’t ask for, a door you’re afraid to open, or a river of unknowns that seems swollen and wild. You can hear it rush; you can see it swirl. You can’t see the bottom, and you can’t feel the ground. You’re at the banks and the brink, waiting, watching, wondering.

Israel knew that feeling. Their sandals were dusty from years of wandering. Their memories carried both manna and mistakes. Moses was gone. Joshua now led. Before them: a river at flood stage and a land filled with promises they had waited for and heard about since childhood. Behind them: a past they could not repeat and would not return to. Between them and tomorrow: the Jordan.

We live there more than we admit. The calendar flips, the kids grow, the pressures pile, the headlines shout, and the river rises. We stand with stacked responsibilities, thin patience, and a whispering fear: What if I can’t do this? What if the waters don’t part? What if the ground never appears beneath my feet?

Friend, the God who brought you this far is not shrugging His shoulders. His presence is not tentative. His promises have not expired. He knows your name. He knows this river. He knows both banks—where you began and where you’re going. And He knows the exact step where the water gives way to dry ground.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship) Faith and obedience walk hand in hand like old friends. Faith hears the voice of God; obedience moves the feet. Faith sees the Ark of God’s presence; obedience follows when the priests pick it up. Faith believes God will make a way; obedience gets ready when God says, “Sanctify yourselves.”

Today, we stand with Joshua and all Israel at the river’s edge. The sun rises. The camp stirs. Officers move through the ranks with clear instructions. The Ark—symbol of God’s nearness—will go ahead, and the people will keep their eyes on it. There will be space, not because God is distant, but because His holiness deserves honor and because His people need vision. They will see where to go, because they have not passed this way before.

Hear the text. Let every sentence steady your soul. Let every command call you to trust. Let every promise anchor you in awe.

Joshua 3:1-9 (King James Version) 1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; 3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you. 6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. 7 And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. 8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. 9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God.

Can you hear the cadence? Sanctify yourselves. Keep your eyes on the Ark. Step when He says step. Stand in the river. Watch what God will do.

This is where courage grows—not from clenching fists, but from opening hands. Not from loud bravado, but from quiet obedience. Not from pretending the river is small, but from proclaiming that God is great. When God says, “Tomorrow I will do wonders among you,” He is not hinting; He is heralding. He is turning fear into faith. He is moving His people from waiting to walking.

Some of us need this word today. We’ve grown weary from the long wait at the water’s edge. We’re tempted to fold the tent and settle for the shore. We’ve come up with clever ways to avoid the crossing—delay, distraction, endless analysis. But the call comes again: “Sanctify yourselves.” Bring your heart to God. Bring your schedule and your secrets. Bring your doubts and your decisions. Set them apart to Him. He is holy, and He is here.

Others of us are watching the Ark. We sense God nudging us forward, and it scares us. The priests had to step into the river before the waters parted. Faith gets its feet wet. Courage carries the Ark forward. Maybe your step looks like a call you’ve been postponing, a confession you’ve been resisting, a commitment you’ve been shelving. The water is cold at first. Then God makes a roadway where there was only a riverbed.

And when He carries you through—as He will—remember what He has done. Capture the moment with markers of mercy in your life. Write it down. Tell your children. Tell your own heart when the night feels long again. God meets us at the bank, walks with us into the current, and brings us out with a testimony.

So let’s come near with clear eyes and ready hearts. Let’s listen to the Lord who leads us, the Lord who loves us, the Lord who will do wonders among us. And let’s begin with prayer.

Opening Prayer: Father, here we are at the edge—aware of our limits, aware of Your power. We set ourselves apart to You. Cleanse our hearts. Quiet our fears. Lift our eyes to Your presence. Teach us to follow where You lead, to step when You speak, to stand when You say stand. Go before us as the Ark went before Israel. Make a way through the waters. Do wonders among us for the honor of Your name. Seal this word to our souls, strengthen our faith, and ready our obedience. We ask in the strong and saving name of Jesus. Amen.

Consecrate Yourself Before You Cross

Before any step forward, God asks for your heart. He asks for your hands. He asks for your habits. Set apart. Clean out what clutters the soul. Say yes to His way in clear, simple ways. This comes first. It is how you get ready for what comes next.

In the scene from Joshua, the command to set yourselves apart comes before the river opens. It is more than a ritual. It is a reset. It is you saying, “God, You lead,” and then ordering your life around that. It touches thoughts, words, and private choices. It reaches into schedules, budgets, and relationships. It is humble. It is honest. It is daily. And it is the doorway to what God plans to do.

God’s presence went ahead of the people, carried by the priests. They were told to keep a clear view so they could see the way because they had never walked that path before. That distance was not cold. It was holy. It made room for awe. It also gave direction to a huge crowd. This is what setting apart does in you. It clears your sightline. It helps you notice where God is moving. It slows your hurry so you do not run past Him. It quiets the noise so you can pick up His cue. In practice, this looks like simple choices. Cut the rush for a time. Open the Scriptures with a soft heart. Sit in prayer long enough to listen. Ask wise friends to speak truth. Keep a respectful pace with God. Do not crowd Him with your plans. Make space to see.

The call to prepare came with a promise that God would act soon. There is a sequence here. Tend to your inner life today. Expect God to work in His time. The people likely washed, ordered their tents, and made themselves clean. Their bodies and homes told a story. We belong to God. We are ready for Him. You can do the same in plain ways. Name sin by name. Ask for mercy. Make things right with someone you have wronged. Let go of a grudge that has hardened you. Remove what dulls your love for God. Switch off what stirs old temptations. Set a time to fast from noise and comfort. Pray simple prayers. “Search me. Clean me. Fill me.” This is not earning. It is readiness. It is you holding out empty hands so God can place something new there.

God also spoke about Joshua’s leadership, promising to confirm him before the whole nation. That matters. When God sets a leader in place and marks that leader with His help, the people can move with peace. Setting apart is never only private. It spreads through a community. The priests carried the weight of the sacred chest and walked first. That was costly. Their bodies felt the strain. Their feet touched the current. Parents, mentors, pastors, team leads, teachers—this is for you. Set the tone in your home and circle. Keep clean accounts with God. Guard your words when you are tired. Keep a day for rest. Draw wise boundaries with screens, money, and food. Refuse secret corners. When leaders live like this, trust grows. Confusion fades. People can follow with steady hearts because they see a life that matches the message.

Then came the hard part. The priests were told to step all the way to the water’s edge and stand in it. The act came first. The opening came next. Setting apart always moves from the heart to the feet. It is not only thoughts and feelings. It is choices with dates and times. Pick one clear step and take it. Make the call you have avoided. Send the message that brings truth into the light. Delete what keeps you stuck. Share a gift that costs you. Tell your small group what you plan to obey this week, and ask them to check in. Set an alarm for prayer and keep it. Move your feet while your hands are still open to God. This is how faith breathes. This is how a soul gets ready for dry ground where there used to be a flood.

Rely On God's Presence And Obey His Lead

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