Creation to Christ: Reading 28 – September 4, 2016 – Joshua 3, The Conquest Begins

Today’s Readings

Context 

Ever spent time wandering in the wilderness? You were saved by God's grace, as Israel was delivered through the Red Sea and then you went out to live the life of faith and dependence, but somehow, like the Chosen People, you got sidetracked and ended up walking in circles instead of taking possession of the land God promised you.

As Joshua 3 opens, the time has come for Israel to end its wanderings and begin the Conquest of the Land, the intent of God from the time they were saved from Egypt.

When a believer has been wandering in the wilderness instead of walking in the ways of God, what is necessary to get back on track? You have to go back to the beginning. No, we don't lose our salvation and we don't get "re-saved" but it may seem that way. At the Red Sea God parted the waters and Israel went through on dry ground. To start over, God stopped the flow of the Jordan and Israel went through on dry ground.

It always starts with a miracle of God. It's his work, his power, his authority, his saving grace. The grace that saved you is the grace that restores you when you get off track.

Devotional - Step in the Deep End!

Why is it that we see so little of the miraculous, amazing, mind-blowing power of God that was seen so often in the biblical days? Has God retired? Is the "age of miracles" over? Is the Bible full of fictional stories that inflate the facts to make God's work seem more glorious than it really was?

I do not believe that. But I do believe that there was one thing seen in the lives of biblical characters that you rarely see in our lives today. In almost every biblical story of the great works of God we see a particular response to God's work that is consistently displayed among the people through whom God works.

It's "risky faith." 

Risky faith? It's a faith that gives itself so completely to God that if God doesn't work, the man or woman of God will die, be humiliated, destroyed, or utterly fail.

In Joshua 3, priests carrying the ark of God, which represents the presence and power of God among his people, They were told to approach the Jordan, which was at flood stage, and to step into the river. Normally that was nothing - it's a slow-moving little creek. But at flood stage in those days the Jordan was certain death. And God told these poor men to step in. When they stepped into the river he stopped the flow.

Moses had to go to Egypt to face Pharaoh. Risky faith. David walked out to fight Goliath. Risky faith. Elijah went up on Mt. Carmel. Risky faith. Barnabas and Saul went out into the darkness to shine the light. Risky faith. God does not work for our amusement or our entertainment. He works in response to risky faith.

We insist on safety, on risk-free, security-certain, no-fear, no-danger faith. We ask God to stop the river first, dry the ground, and then we will consider, perhaps, maybe, thinking about walking through! God tells us to follow him into the river knowing danger abounds. We will never see the display of God's power until we are risking all in the service of God. It is on the front lines of the great battle that God is revealed in all his glory and awesome power.

Father, put me in the battle for your glory that I may see your power. 

Think and Pray

Are you living in risky faith?
When is the last time you did something that would utterly fail if God did not work in power?