Saturday, August 23, 2008

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A Step of Faith

When Moses and the children of Israel went through the Red Sea on dry land, Moses had simply raised his staff and stretched out his hand and the waters divided, though he did have to hold up his hand all night for the waters to back up (Exodus 14:16, 21).  I'm sure that it took faith for Moses to step out and do that, and we know that it took faith for the people to walk between two walls of water, dry ground or not.  "By faith the people passed through the Red Sea on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned" (Hebrews 11:29).  Moses raised his hand again and the waters released, but the real reason that the Egyptian army drowned was because they did not have faith!  A lack of faith can be dangerous, even deadly!

Did you know that they had to repeat this action some forty years later under Joshua?  God came to Joshua after Moses' death and told him that it was time to go in and take the promised land and that he was to be strong and courageous but don't worry because "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you" (Joshua 1:5).  Joshua then sent two spies (a lesson learned from Numbers 13?) to go and check out the land, especially Jericho, and they met up with the prostitute Rahab who hid them and then told them that the Lord had given them the land but asked that she and her family be spared (Joshua 2).  The spies returned and gave a good report and early in the morning Joshua and all of the people left the place where they had been camped out and went to the Jordan river, where they set up camp before crossing over.

Did Joshua have to raise his staff and stretch out his arm so that the waters would part?  No, and it is interesting that God never seems to do things the same way twice.  The way of faith is usually not predictable or follows formulas.  There are no magic words that work every time.  We always have to be listening to God.  Every day and every situation is new.  One thing, however, is always the same, God asks us to take a step of faith!

And in this instance, it literally was a "step" of faith.  Joshua gave instructions to the people.  They were to "consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you" (Joshua 3:5), and the instruction was simply to follow the Levitical priests who would be carrying the ark of the covenant, although from a distance of about a thousand yards, for "then you will know which way to go, for you have never been this way before" (Joshua 3:4).  Is there not this element in any and every adventure of faith of not knowing which way to go and never having been this way before?  We like they, simply need to follow the presence of the Lord, although now because of Jesus, we can come close rather than stay a thousand yards away!

So Joshua told the priests to take up the ark and go to the edge of the Jordan, which interestingly, was at flood stage (Joshua 3:15).  I guess if God is going to do a miracle, he figures he might as well make it even more important!  And once they got to the edge of the river, they were to take a step into the water by faith. 

"Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.  It piled up in a heap a great distance away . . . while the water flowing down to the Dead Sea was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.  The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground" (Joshua 3:15-17).

Sometimes the step will be small and sometimes it will seem huge.  Sometimes it will be a leap of faith.  But the things of God seem always to demand faith on our part.  It is God's way.  Romans 14:16 goes so far as to say that "everything that does not come from faith is sin!"  What is God asking of you and me today?  What small or large step of faith do I need to take today?  Every journey begins with one step, and then another, and then another.  Don't be concerned with tomorrow.  Ask for today's step.  And, simply do today what you need to do today and when we do that, we will be ready for tomorrow and ready for the next step of faith.  With each step of faith, our faith grows and makes the next one easier.  Step out into the water and watch what God will do!

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