The children of Israel were about to finish a forty year journey from Egypt to the promise land when God announced to Joshua that the very next day would be the culmination of all their hopes and dreams. He appeared to Joshua and told him to prepare God’s people to claim the promise that had been given to them so long ago. One can almost feel the excitement that must have filled the people as they anticipated the great joy of entering into the promise land. I imagine that there were many people who had sleepless nights. Tomorrow was the day!
As Joshua organized the people, he put something very important at the front of the line. The priests were carrying the Ark of the Covenant, and they would be the ones who would enter the “land of milk and honey” first. These priests were leaders, and they were about to be a witness to the entire nation of Israel. I am not sure they knew what to expect, but as they got closer to the Jordan River, they had to notice that something wasn’t right. If they expected it would be easy to cross the Jordan, perhaps expecting a bridge or some sort of break in the water, they would quickly be disappointed. The river was not only flowing like it normally did, it was actually flooding. It looked impossible to get across. Moses with his staff was no longer living, so they couldn’t expect the same miracle that had happened when they left Egypt and God pushed back the waters after Moses placed his staff in the Red Sea. All they had was faith. They heard from Joshua that today would be the day, so despite all the evidence to the contrary, they believed him. If they hadn’t, they would probably still be doing laps around the wilderness to this day.
This is the year at COTHA that we are responding to God’s call to move forward. For you, that may be a call to stop sitting on the sidelines and get involved. Perhaps you have been coming to COTHA for a while and you’ve not made the commitment to join. Now is the time to stop waiting and do so. Maybe you have never given regularly to the ministry here. Maybe God is calling you to trust him and start giving. There may be many other things that God is calling you to do, but I am convinced that God is calling us all to “Dive In.” We may have many excuses why we can’t. Your own Jordan River may seem insurmountable. There’s no staff of Moses anywhere around you to touch that water and make it go away. I am sure there were many excuses around the children of Israel on that day but they acted on faith. Now is the time for you to do the same.
So what did those who carried the Ark of the Covenant do on that day? They trusted God. Joshua told them to get their feet wet and as soon as they did, the flooding waters rolled back and they crossed over into the promise land. Today is the day for you to get your feet wet. God has promised that He desires to bless us, but we won’t experience those blessings until we move out in faith. There are many reasons that you may feel that the time is not right. But I want you to consider that those reasons will always be there. Taking God at His word is the key to living a life that is full. Scripture reminds us that when we serve God, we praise Him. And God inhabits the praises of His people. There is no better time to “dive-in” and begin to experience, as the children of Israel did on the day they entered the promise land, the exquisite blessings of God.
We have done a great job at COTHA of “Come and Connect.” Today we have a opportunity to “Grow and Go.” I encourage you to trust God, and we will see God’s glory in even greater ways this year than ever before.
So what’s holding you back? Join me as I “Dive In!”
As Joshua organized the people, he put something very important at the front of the line. The priests were carrying the Ark of the Covenant, and they would be the ones who would enter the “land of milk and honey” first. These priests were leaders, and they were about to be a witness to the entire nation of Israel. I am not sure they knew what to expect, but as they got closer to the Jordan River, they had to notice that something wasn’t right. If they expected it would be easy to cross the Jordan, perhaps expecting a bridge or some sort of break in the water, they would quickly be disappointed. The river was not only flowing like it normally did, it was actually flooding. It looked impossible to get across. Moses with his staff was no longer living, so they couldn’t expect the same miracle that had happened when they left Egypt and God pushed back the waters after Moses placed his staff in the Red Sea. All they had was faith. They heard from Joshua that today would be the day, so despite all the evidence to the contrary, they believed him. If they hadn’t, they would probably still be doing laps around the wilderness to this day.
This is the year at COTHA that we are responding to God’s call to move forward. For you, that may be a call to stop sitting on the sidelines and get involved. Perhaps you have been coming to COTHA for a while and you’ve not made the commitment to join. Now is the time to stop waiting and do so. Maybe you have never given regularly to the ministry here. Maybe God is calling you to trust him and start giving. There may be many other things that God is calling you to do, but I am convinced that God is calling us all to “Dive In.” We may have many excuses why we can’t. Your own Jordan River may seem insurmountable. There’s no staff of Moses anywhere around you to touch that water and make it go away. I am sure there were many excuses around the children of Israel on that day but they acted on faith. Now is the time for you to do the same.
So what did those who carried the Ark of the Covenant do on that day? They trusted God. Joshua told them to get their feet wet and as soon as they did, the flooding waters rolled back and they crossed over into the promise land. Today is the day for you to get your feet wet. God has promised that He desires to bless us, but we won’t experience those blessings until we move out in faith. There are many reasons that you may feel that the time is not right. But I want you to consider that those reasons will always be there. Taking God at His word is the key to living a life that is full. Scripture reminds us that when we serve God, we praise Him. And God inhabits the praises of His people. There is no better time to “dive-in” and begin to experience, as the children of Israel did on the day they entered the promise land, the exquisite blessings of God.
We have done a great job at COTHA of “Come and Connect.” Today we have a opportunity to “Grow and Go.” I encourage you to trust God, and we will see God’s glory in even greater ways this year than ever before.
So what’s holding you back? Join me as I “Dive In!”
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