Wading In The Water, Part #1

Opening prayer.

Can we walk on the water?

Open your Bible to Joshua 3:15 and say, "Amen" when you are there.

Physically speaking, the outlook for crossing the river was not good; nevertheless, the moment for which they had longed for, what they had hoped and prayed for, was about to happen. It was at hand and there was no turning back.

The Lord's humble servant, Joshua, commanded the priests who were entrusted with the bearing of the ark of the covenant, "When you come to the brink of the Jordan, you shall stand still."

We can only imagine how difficult it was for those priests to wade into the Jordan River bearing the heavy ark of the covenant on their shoulders .

And to make the situation even more difficult, they were commanded to "stand still" in greatly disturbed water which as we have read, the Jordan always went on a rampage, overflowing its banks during Canaan's spring harvest season. (Joshua 3:15)

Their crossing would have been easy, had it pleased God to heap up the violent waters before they stepped in: yet, that was not God's order for that particular occasion.

His command, given through Joshua, was "Get down in the Jordan and stand still." When they did that, God made a way for them to cross where there had been no way.

It is in that pressure-packed moments that the unexplored and unconquered territories of our lives may be won.

Say, "I can win."

If we are in obedience with the Lord in our lives, we will launch into the deep water with Christ and we can fearlessly cross over the Jordan's of our lives.

He knows all of the dangers of the rivers that we must cross and as the Captain of our salvation, He will guide us to safety

It is true, Your Jordan waters may swell; but, this is where your faith comes in. Your Promised Land is not far away.

Say; "I have hope in Him."

All of us have tough times in our lives.

………..How many times do we find ourselves in an tough stream of life with the currents swirling around us with so great a pressure that it seems almost impossible to stand in the water.

Indeed it is not an easy task to "stand still in the Jordan", especially in the time of harvest, when disturbing waters are overflowing all of their banks.

It is so much easier to wade around and keep in the motion than to "stand still" in swirling water.

There's an old spiritual that goes partly like this,

Wade in the water

Wade in the water

Wade in the water children

Wade in the water

God's gonna trouble the water.

It is so much more like a man to stir about in the current than to calmly maintain his place in Christ and watch the torrent whirlpools twisting about him.

There was only one way for Israel to enter Canaan and that was by crossing the Jordan.

And there was only one way to cross the Jordan, and that was by standing still until God stacked the waters up in a pile, leaving an avenue for their journey.

Sisters and Brothers, the greatest moment in your life, with its most glorious triumph , lies just beyond the Jordan of your life: still; you will never reach the goal unless you learn to "stand still" and let the candle of your soul be relighted by the torch of God's Spirit in you.

The boisterous waves roar and the spray moistens your eyes; still, faith views the other side as a haven of hope and rest.

Naturally the Canaanites stand on the opposite bank and laugh.

They agree there is no need for alarm.

So they thought at the time of Joshua's crossing.

They felt sure that Joshua would wait until the spring came before his army could cross. Their laughter, however, solidified in their throats when they saw the approach of the Israelite army.

Indeed, God was fulfilling his promise to Joshua. Unbelievable!

Joshua obediently marched his army across the dry river bed and camped that night in the promise land of Canaan.

If we continue to read, we notice that as the Israelites went forward, the Jordan closed in behind them making any retreat impossible. They went across in faith. Just like when they were with Moses.

I also believe that there is no retreat, no provision for a believer to go back to the old way of life. To go back across the river.

When the winds howl over your Jordan, and the floods come, do you get nervous?

Do fear and unbelief take away what little peace you do have?

Remember,

Wade in the water.

wade in the water,

God's gonna trouble the water.