Jordan River

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2 Kings 5:12 Being Unwilling And Missing Out

“Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. 2 Kings 5:12

Getting directions from someone else does not always make sense to a person. Since the directions do not always make sense, many people choose to not follow them and do their own thing. Pride gets in the way and causes them to go their own way. In the process of going their own way, many will often miss out on the goal that they were seeking.

Naaman had leprosy and had gone to Elisha to be healed. Elisha told him to dip in the Jordan River seven times. Naaman was angry and did not want to dip into a dirty river and stormed off in a rage.

People are very quick to put God in a box and expect Him to work a very specific way. If God does not work in the expected way, they get angry.

This is commonly seen when it comes to healing. Many want to see God heal a very specific, miraculous way or they feel God did not listen to their need and meet it.

God’s ways are so far above the ways of man, that often they can appear as ludicrous. Sometimes in order for God to provide what one desires, God has him do something that is out of the ordinary and does not make sense.

Many believers often miss out on blessings when they choose to not follow God’s commands completely out of pride or just not believing and trusting. They go away angry and miss what God has for them.

Believers need to do everything God says to do, regardless of how little sense it may make.

There may be something in your life that you are seeking God to take care of. God may be asking you to step out in faith and do something that sounds ridiculous and makes no sense to get the situation taken care of.

Do not let your not understanding or pride get in the way of God meeting your need. If you don’t step out in faith, you may never know what God was going to do. Trust that God knows what He is asking of you and that He will do what He has promised.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know what God is asking you to do; that you will step out in faith and obey God’s commands to you; that you will allow God to remove any pride in your life; and that you will see God’s hand of provision and miracles in your life.

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Joshua 4:20 Keeping Memories Alive

And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. Joshua 4:20

Memorials are put up nearly every location throughout the entire world. These memorials can be something huge set up by nations to small pictures drawn by little children hung on a refrigerator door by a parent.

The purpose and focus of a memorial are to remember something good that was accomplished by someone else. Remembering these things can give a person renewed strength and renewed joy and hope during difficult times. It can also help remind a person why things are the way they are.

As the Israelites crossed the Jordan River each tribe was to take up a stone from the middle of it. Those stones were set up at Gilgal as a memorial reminder of what God did for them in parting the river to cross over.

If a believer has his spiritual eyes open, he will see God doing miracles in his life on a regular basis. Nearly impossible situations will work out seamlessly with near perfection. Feared difficulties will clear away with ease.

Even though these things occur on a regular basis, many believers forget about them or chalk them up to being luck or their own personal hard work, rather than the work of God. People are quick to forget the hand of God in their lives.

Remembering what God has done will strengthen the believer for the next time an impassable river is in the way knowing God can part the waters and make a way where there seemed to be no way.

Journals, pictures, or some other physical thing can be set up to remind one as to what miracle God had done in one’s life. Looking back at these memories will help one to remember that God is in control and can do all things.

If you really stop and think about it, you may be able to recall many times God has done some miracle in your life. Think of how many times you had unexpected favor or something turned out not as bad as what was expected.

Take time to set up something to remind you of some of those miracles. Then take time to remember what God has already done. Then share with others what God had done in your life.

This will strengthen you to keep your focus upon God’s abilities and be a witness to others of His abilities.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know what God has done in your life; that you will see all miracles God is performing in your life; that you will remember what God has done; and that you will trust God for your future challenges.

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Joshua 4:18 Don’t Return To The Wilderness

Closed door

And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before. Joshua 4:18 

Returning to an old way of living is often very easy to do. The pathway back to that lifestyle is often not cut off. It is common for people to leave an open door, for the ‘just in case’ situation in their life.

As long as a door or pathway is left open for the former way of life, it is easy to return. The temptation to go back will always be there.

God had provided a miracle of allowing the Israelites to travel on dry ground across the Jordan river during flood stage. As soon as every one had passed across from the desert wilderness into the new land of Canaan, God had put the waters back into place. The pathway back to the wilderness was closed up to never return.

God had brought them into the new land to stay for all time. There was to be no more returning to the past. The past was now gone, only to be remembered of where they had come from. The Israelites were to take over the new land.

There are times in the life of a believer, that God moves him to a new place in life and closes the door behind him for no return. More often, it is the believer who must close that door. He has to make the choice to never go back.

The world loves to keep that door open. They say that a person is that person no matter what changes and can always go back.

However, God says that a person becomes a new creation. Once created new, one should not change back to what he once was.

As you walk forward with God on this path in life, do not try to go back to the old ways or the old location. Always keep your eyes on God, who only moves forward. He never retreats.

Moving forward will always bring you into new and better things. God has great things in store for you. Allow Him to close the doors behind you and don’t look back. The back is old life and is now dead. Move forward.

I pray today that you will see the path God has for you; that God will help you to move forward on His path for you; that you will trust the path God has for you; and that you will allow God to close the doors behind you. 

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Joshua 3:14-15a Step Out In Faith

Flooded river

Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. Joshua 3:14-15a

Doing something new or different can be very scary for most people. In reality, the majority of people in this world have many opportunities to do things, but do not because of fear. They fear failure. They fear the dangers involved. They fear it will not work for them. They are told it cannot work. The number of reasons they fear is nearly infinite.

There are some people who overcome that fear and step out and end up doing great things. These few find that the majority of things that people fear, do not always happen. It takes stepping out to overcome.

God had told the Israelites that He was giving them the land of Canaan for their inheritance. That land was on the other side of the Jordan river from where they had come from in Egypt. They had to cross the river, but they had a problem. At this time, the river was at flood stage.

Most people know that at flood stage on a river, one does not go into that river, especially on foot. Yet, God told the priests to step out into the river in faith. As soon as they stepped out in faith in God, the river stopped flowing and the ground dried up. They were able to cross that river.

God did not dry up the river, until the feet of the priests had stepped out into that river. It was after they stepped.

They had to believe God’s word and take that step before God would do the miracle.

There will be times God will call you to do something different. It goes against all the norms of this life. It goes against the ways of this world. The world, and even many in the church, will say it can’t be done, it is dangerous, don’t do it. Yet, you must obey God’s word and trust Him.

As you step out, God can stop the raging waters and dry up the ground before you. Remember that God is always with you and will never leave you. If He called you to step out into the raging river, there is a reason for it, and He will provide the way.

Be willing to step out today in faith to see what God has for you.

I pray today that you will hear where God is leading you; that God will remove the fear of the raging waters before you; that God will give you strength to step out in faith; and that your faith in God will be raised higher.

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Joshua 4:21-22 Remember What Happened

He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ Joshua 4:21-22

In order for the Israelites to take possession of the land of Canaan they had to get across the Jordan River. Since the river was a flood stage at this time, God chose to part the waters and allow them to walk on dry ground, as they had done so in crossing the Red Sea.

As they crossed they were to pick up twelve stones from the river and bring them across. Those twelve stones were to be set up as a memorial to remind the people of what God had done for them. In the future people would ask about those stones and it was a chance to remember about their walking across the river on dry ground.

People like to have things that bring back memories of what has happened in their life. Photo albums are great reminders showing pictures of events in their lives. Some people have many of these types of treasures, while others keep very few and rely only on their memory.

In your life, there will be times when God has moved in a tremendous way. It may not be the walking across a flooded river on dry ground, but it can still be a very miraculous work in your life.  Remembering these events is important.

Most people cannot remember everything without some type of reminder. When God does something great in your life, you must set up a reminder of what happened. This will help you down the road when life becomes a challenge again. You can look at the reminder and remember how God brought you through that event, and can do it again and again.

Reminders will keep you focused on God and what He has done and what He can do for you, in you and through you.

Do you remember all the thing God has done in your life?

How do you remember them? What is your reminder?

Give God praise for what He has done, and trust Him for what He can do.

I pray today that God will help you remember all that He has done for you; that you will tell others what God has done in your life; that you will not forget the miracles God has done for you; and that you will be a witness of God’s great love and power.