Faith is commonly accompanied by uncertainty, yet it’s in stepping forward that we encounter the ability of God. The Israelites learned this on the Jordan River, where God performed a miracle only after they demonstrated obedience.
Standing on the banks of the river, they faced a barrier that separated them from the Promised Land. The waters were at flood stage, unattainable to cross by natural means. Yet God had given them a command – to step into the water before He would act.
The moment of religion got here when the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant moved forward. Scripture records that “as soon because the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing” (Joshua 3:15-16, NIV).
The river didn’t part ahead of time, nor did God remove the obstacle before they moved. It was only after they took that first step of religion that the waters parted.
This was a strong demonstration of the connection between faith and divine motion. God had already determined to present them the land, but their participation in His promise required trust.
The crossing of the Jordan was not only a logistical challenge but a deeply spiritual moment. It marked the transition from wilderness wandering to the fulfilment of God’s covenant promise. The Israelites had seen God’s miraculous power on the Red Sea, but this time, He required something more of them.
Forty years earlier, their ancestors had hesitated at the sting of the Promised Land, refusing to trust that God would give them victory. As a result, they wandered within the desert until a recent generation arose. Now, this generation had a selection: would they trust God before they saw His provision, or would they hesitate as their forebears had done? By entering into the water, they demonstrated their faith, and God honoured it.
This principle runs throughout the Bible. When Jesus called Peter to walk on water, He didn’t calm the waves first. Peter had to depart the security of the boat before experiencing the miracle. The man with the withered hand was told to stretch it out, and as he obeyed, his hand was healed. The ten lepers were instructed to go and show themselves to the priests, and it was as they went that they were cleansed (Luke 17:14).
In each case, faith required movement before the miracle occurred. As Hebrews reminds us, “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we don’t see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).
Faith doesn’t wait for all conditions to be perfect; it moves forward, trusting that God will make a way.
There can also be a deeper theological truth at work on this event. The Ark of the Covenant, which the priests carried into the water, represented God’s presence amongst His people. The undeniable fact that the priests needed to step into the river while bearing the Ark symbolised that it’s God’s presence that leads the best way. They weren’t entering into the unknown alone. In the identical way, believers today are usually not called to take blind leaps of religion but to step forward with confidence that God is with them. Jesus’ final promise to His disciples was, “surely I’m with you usually, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, NIV). Faith just isn’t about reckless risk-taking but about trusting within the One who has already gone before us.
This lesson just isn’t confined to biblical history. It speaks into the challenges of on a regular basis life.
When God calls someone right into a recent direction – whether in profession, ministry, or relationships – the trail just isn’t all the time clear. Fear and uncertainty may whisper reasons to delay, but obedience must come first. Trusting God means acting before the end result is visible. Forgiveness may should be prolonged before reconciliation is assured. A difficult decision may should be made before clarity arrives.
Stepping out in faith may feel dangerous, but the choice is to stay stagnant on the riverbank, never experiencing the fullness of what God has prepared.
The Israelites on the Jordan faced a defining moment. They could have waited for the waters to part before stepping forward, but then they might have waited in vain. The miracle was all the time a part of God’s plan, but it surely required faith in motion.
Some of us today may stand at an identical crossroads, hesitating before an uncertain future, waiting for assurance before moving forward. Yet God often calls His people to take step one, to trust Him before the best way is made clear.
The priests on the Jordan got their feet wet, after which God moved. Perhaps He is looking you to do the identical.
“Trust within the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your personal understanding; in all of your ways undergo him, and he’ll make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).Duncan Williams is outreach director for the Christian Free Press and has worked for Son Christian Media here within the UK and Recovery Network Radio within the United States. He is an ordained minister and a long-term member of Christians in Media. He provides content and syndicated news for regional publisher www.inyourarea.co.uk
