Our hopes and dreams for life often lead us to a place of seeming impossibility. In the Old Testament book of Joshua we see God challenging the people of Israel and the leadership of Joshua with a transformational moment. They are on the edge of entering their 'promise land' when they face the raging waters of the river Jordan. How would they respond to this obstacle standing between them and their hopes of a land to dwell in and call their own?
As it was in example of Joshua and the nation of Israel (see Joshua chapter 3), God is doing something when he takes us to difficult places in our journey toward purpose and dream fulfillment. Our lives are ultimately not our own. We are not on the planet to glory in ourselves. God will often honor us as we honor him with obedience and trust, but ultimately we are meant to reflect his power and love to a doubting world. There comes a time when we need to know that God is really with us in our life's journey. In Joshua chapter 3 and verse 10 we see God speaking to and through Joshua, "Here s how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap."
God wants to do something in us and through us that is nothing short of miraculous. He knows that we will need great faith to walk out his purposes for our lives. God places himself in the midst of our seemingly impossible life obstacles.....and at the critical moment makes a way where there seems to be no way forward. So many people that I know and love are at a crossroads in their life. They've pointed their lives in the direction of change and newness. And now just before God's promise to them becomes reality they hesitate at 'water's edge'. There is a huge difference between a faith journey and presumptuous risk. In the story of Joshua and Israel we see a relationship at the center of direction and purpose. God is under no obligation to bless a vision and direction that we initiate and birth apart from him. But when God is guiding and empowering our dreams, vision and purpose he makes himself fully available to complete that which he has birthed in our souls. He is with us in this life and in many ways will prove his love and commitment to us.
Perhaps today some of you reading this are stuck in a place you know is not God's ultimate purpose for you. You've tried to make the next step in your life but you've either hesitated or been thwarted in your attempts to move on deeper into your dream. There are a few keys revealed in Joshua chapter 3 to keep you on track. First you need to be living in the context of Godly community. Joshua was leading a people of covenant into a God revealed direction and purpose. Too often we're seeking dreams and visions birthed out of our own badly informed concept of identity. When you don't know who you are, it's easy to get lost in life. When God reveals himself to you he also brings us into community with people he has touched with his gift of life. You don't get to where you need to go in isolation. We were born for relationship not just with God but with a spiritual family who will 'have our back' during times of adversity but also hold us accountable when we are tempted to 'go back' in the direction of selfishness and sin. Joshua and his appointed leaders from the various tribes were the "Pastors" guiding the flock of Israel into God's appointed destiny. God still uses spiritual leaders in our lives to keep us on track in the day by day guidance we need in life. Don't allow yourself to become spiritually and relationally isolated!
Let's pick up back in the 3rd chapter of the book of Joshua , "So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over to Jericho."
God came through. His purposes never fail. We need to make sure we are going where he is going to ensure we too are getting to the places in life marked out for us before we were born. Remember Psalm 37 and verse 4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." So often we get lost in life when our hearts fail to acknowledge and worship God properly. When your heart is right, you always get to where you need to go in life.
If you've come to a crossroad in life it's time you fully surrender your next step to the God who made you. He knows you.... He created you....and He won't fail to provide a way forward even when there seems to be no way.
