GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE PLUNGE

  “The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.” So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them.  It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge,  the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.” – Joshua 3:13-16.

Have you ever witnessed a child attempting to jump into the deep end of a pool for the first time? There they are in their floaties, hovering at the edge of the water with their little knees knocking. In the pool is Dad with his arms outstretched, calling out to the child, “Trust me! Jump, I’ll catch you.” Eventually, the child takes the plunge. The father says in a reassuring voice, “I told you I would catch you.” Sometimes we feel that way with the Lord. There He is, in the deep waters, calling my name to jump, to trust, to take the plunge. And there I am on the edge of the pool shaking with nervousness.

When Joshua and the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River into the promised land, the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant had to first place their feet into the Jordan in order for the nation to be able to cross over.  Dipping our feet in a river may not seem like a big deal to us, but the Jordan was at flood stage and the waters were not shallow or calm. In addition, they were carrying the Ark, so their minds were no doubt filled with all kinds of concerns about what could go wrong. But when they put their feet in, the water stopped flowing downstream and the riverbed became a crosswalk.

We will all have those moments in our lives when we are asked to step out in faith. And we all have concerns about that first step because getting out of our comfort zone can produce stress and worry.  Our initial inclination is to question whether we are ready to put ourselves out there. On the other hand, you are excited about what God wants to do through you and you can’t wait to see what that is, but…you don’t have it all worked, figured, or factored out. That is where faith comes in. God responds to our actions, not our concerns. So step out even if you have that unsettling combination of wanting to step out in faith but not feeling completely prepared. God didn’t ask you to get ready to go; He just asked you to go. You can get ready along the way.

Hebrews 11.6 famously says, ”And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” You have to wonder how many things we’ve missed out on, how many miraculous adventures we have bypassed by playing it safe. God wants us to step out like Abraham- not knowing the exact destination but trusting that He does.

So, don’t look at the rushing waters swirling and churning violently in front of you. Seek God, and if you believe He is telling you to, then take the plunge and step in.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the barriers to doing something every day that requires faith?
2. What can we do this week to overcome those barriers?