Both Feet In
Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”
Joshua 3:5-8
On Saturday morning I woke to a text from my parents…it didn’t start with “good morning” but rather “when you wake, you will likely see the news report that Israel has declared war against the terrorist group called…”
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. My heart raced but then slowly began to steady itself as I read the words, “We are fine.” They were fine. They are safe now.
I do not have many words for this week’s reach…because the words that fed my soul and kept my light from going out were not my own. Shock had silenced me, so I opened my Bible and witnessed as those beautifully sacred, God-breathed words filled my mind and covered my heart.
Each day we waited for some good news from my parents and each day I reached for my Bible, the book of 1 Peter in fact. Each hour seemed to slowly get heavier and heavier while at the same time I felt peace rising. On the morning we heard the news that safe transport had been arranged under diplomatic security, I was actually finishing 1 Peter when I read this:
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
1 Peter 5:6-10
I think we all need to slow our everything down, and soak in this scripture.
Humble yourselves, therefore,
under the mighty hand of God
so that at the proper time
he may exalt you,
casting all your anxieties on him,
because he cares for you.
Be sober-minded; be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith,
knowing that the same kinds of suffering
are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
And after you have suffered a little while,
the God of all grace,
who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
My friend, in this life there will be trouble. Jesus did not sugar coat this statement, nor did He leave us at that… “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Hardship will happen but how we choose to respond in the midst of trials determines whether we are climbing the mountain or falling down to the valley below. Of course little to no work is required to slide down to the valley…but will you choose ease over effort even if it costs you the sunrise from the mountaintop? I’m not willing to miss such a view. And so I had to make a choice to reach for more of Him and rely less on my feelings. Please don’t misunderstand, feelings are vital to acknowledge, but when facing trial they will do you little good. You have to reach for something greater than yourself…something firm and unchanging to aid in steadying your step. Imagine you are on a ship at sea, when suddenly a storm hits. Waves are crashing and tossing the boat about. Would you rather wrap your arms around you to keep you from flailing about…or would you reach for the part of the ship untouched by the storm?
God will be your anchor amidst a storm. Peter warns us that we may suffer for a little while - this may feel like centuries long - but hold on…wait on the Lord… don’t give up, don’t let go of the anchor and start to rely on your own understanding thinking that will make things better…or easier. It is an age old trick of the enemy to stop us from reaching for our Father in Heaven and begin relying on ourselves and our own abilities. You see darkness knows that left to our own devices we will eventually cave and crumble… but darkness knows also our God will not only fight for us but as stated so clearly in 1 Peter, chapter 5:
He Himself will restore you.
He Himself will confirm you.
He Himself will strengthen you.
He Himself will establish you.
When trials come, reach for Him. When peace comes, reach for Him still. May His presence in your life be like the very air you breath and more, for He not only fills your lungs, but your soul’s light. Darkness loomed ever so near when I realized my parents were in harms way and I almost caved in my emotions (which the world would deem justifiable), but my God beckons me from the mountain’s peak. He calls me to be still and know that He is who He has always been and will forever be. He whispers and waters are parted, making a way when there was none.
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off.
So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Joshua 3:14-17
Put both feet in the water dear friend.
Climb the mountain.
Hold fast to the anchor that is only He.
Reach for Him.
And then breathe and be still…for He will come…not in the wind, not in an earthquake, not in the fire…but in the still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13). God will make Himself known to you in the most unexpected of ways. Pray you don’t miss it. Daniel was in the lions den when God shut the mouths of the lions. David was in the valley, facing Goliath when God brought the giant to his knees with a river stone. Moses stood before an angry Pharaoh when God freed the people. The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant had to place both feet in the water of the Jordan…at flood stage…when God raised the water and made a dry path. God made Himself known to all of these and so many more, but each endured their own suffering for a little while…we read their stories now because they didn’t hold onto themselves but reached for God and held on.
God delivered my parents and their team safely out of Israel by crossing the Jordan River and while my feet were on American soil, my soul was standing firm with both feet in the waters at the Jordan’s edge.
Please join us in praying for Israel, for the hostages missing, for the families in mourning, for the good soldiers fighting, for those who are still trying to get out of the country, and for Congressman Cory Mills who went in and rescued my parents and their team as he returns to save more. Please also pray for God’s continued hand of favor and protection to rest on my parents and the team as they slowly make their way home!!
Thank you so much for reading this week’s Reach, I pray that it blesses you and if you are currently standing in a valley or on dry ground, that you will place both your feet at the water’s edge and see what God does. He will make Himself known to you but in the most unexpected of ways.
