March 6, 2010

Today's reading: Joshua 3, 4, 5; Psalm 6, 36, 66, 96, 126; Proverbs 6

Joshua 3:8, "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."

So many of us feel like we are living in trials. Someone once said that in your life you are either coming out of a trial or about to go into a trial. This is comforting is it not? My thoughts were drawn to our text for today when I was reading, "ye shall stand still in Jordan."

I am told that the Jordan river was known for flooding and could be a treacherous place to be. So think for a minute with me. Let's put ourselves in the place of the Israelite people. We are following the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant. The priests walk right into the water and stand there. This is our pattern.

The ark of the covenant is a representation of the presence of God. If we are going to be successful (as we saw the other day) then we must follow God and dwell in His presence. When we do this God will work on our behalf.

Notice Joshua 3:13, "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap." Trials in our lives can look like the Jordan river to us. We stand at the brink and look at them and we only see a limited part of the big picture. God is seeing the whole picture and He desires for us to just follow Him and walk on into the water so that He can part them and show Himself strong in our lives.

There are people out there that are experiencing things that are similar to your and my situation and they are watching you and I to see if we respond any differently. As God's child we must respond in a way that brings honor and glory to God. This will draw them to God and show them that we possess something that they need.

Trials are like the door of a department store. You are either going in or coming out of it. So, my friend, are you going out or coming in? Trust the LORD!